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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28893447">electric blue</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bronstiel/pseuds/Bronstiel'>Bronstiel</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>under stars [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Voltron: Legendary Defender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Insecure Lance (Voltron), M/M, Sequal, Texting, broganes, everyone is best friends okay, i just love friend group dynamics, look this is more about Lance than the whole romance, non-binary Pidge, vacation fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:22:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>22,318</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28893447</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bronstiel/pseuds/Bronstiel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Well,” Hunk dropped his satchel off his shoulder and grabbed his laptop from within it. “I’m just gonna preface this that, like, this is big. So, like, I understand if you wanna take a few days to decide.” Lance sat up better on his chair now, officially interested. Hunk wasn’t usually The Ideas Guy™, so him apparently dropping a bomb was quite a feat. Hunk typed on his laptop for a moment, and then with three errant clicks, he presented the screen with a flourish. Lance blinked.<br/><br/>“What the hell kind of name is the <i>Cat’s Eye Isle</i>?”</p><p>***</p><p>The events of <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/15611970">Head First, Eyes Closed, Don't Look</a> from Lance's point of view.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Keith/Lance (Voltron)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>under stars [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1606273</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>electric blue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Guess who's back???</p><p>Me writing HFECDL: Nyma's a bitch lmao<br/>Me now: Nyma's a bitch lmao but their FRIEND.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Well, that sucked.” Lance walked down the campus sidewalk with his phone pressed to his sweaty ear, stuffing revision papers in his bag angrily. He sighed.</p><p>“Sorry to hear that, buddy.” He could practically hear the sad-face-emoji Hunk was dying to type through the speaker. He rolled his eyes to the bright blue sky.</p><p>“That’s okay man. It was my own fault, I guess.” He hadn’t really studied for the physics exam, but he thought revising his class notes would be enough. It was not. “Science is hard. College is hard, actually.” Lance looked around the campus, the overflowing rubbish bins and yellowing grass. He sometimes wished he could just… not go any more. But he didn’t have anything to do otherwise, so he let that thought go as he cut across the limp lawn and up to his dorm.</p><p>So he had bombed a major test for his course. So what? He could just re-do that whole semester and pay another few thousand dollars and then maybe pass that time. Easy solution.</p><p>College was hard.</p><p>He was so tired all the time, he had packet ramen for four of his last six meals, and his roommate left his socks <em>everywhere</em>, and they smelled like old cheese. He told Hunk all these things across the phone.</p><p>“But at least… it’s the weekend.” Lance unlocked the door to his room, noted his roommate's absence, moved some socks to the floor, and collapsed onto the uncomfortable mattress that was his bed. He put his phone on speaker and let it slide onto the sheets next to him. “What are you doing tonight, huh?” Seeing Hunk always made him feel better, no matter what. He could hear that his friend was in his car, probably coming home from his apprenticeship. “We could drive somewhere?”</p><p>He was twenty and already burnt out. The relaxed high-school life he had lived, nor the little experience he had had working at his small hometown's restaurant did not prepare him for the brutality of the frying pan that college had hit him over the head with. What the fuck. Hunk was in a similar boat with his Baker’s Apprenticeship, but at least he knew once it was over that it would be better. That it was his dream. Lance didn’t have that yet. He had just loved the stars, but following them to college-level was perhaps a mistake.</p><p>“Actually,” Hunk said, “I’m driving to you now. Should see you in five.” Lance sat up, intrigued.</p><p>“Ooh, how exciting.” He stretched his arms over his head and popped his shoulder. A mirror was propped against his wall (yes, propped), and he could see the purple bags under his eyes, and his clothes practically hanging off his lanky frame. God, he did not look well. Probably all the ramen and the constant smell of aged gouda. “I’ll get a clean shirt with no tears on it.” He chuckled, joking, but then nodded silently to himself. He should probably change. Hunk deserved that, at least. “Any reason for the surprise visit, bud?”</p><p>He heard Hunk cough through the phone as he rummaged through a drawer, looking for a reasonable shirt. Maybe a black one to hide how washed-out and pale he looked.</p><p>“Actually, yeah. I have a- Oh, hold on, I’m parking.” Hunk hung up, but Lance hummed in response anyway, and grabbed the phone as he made his way to the cramped sitting space near the door to his dorm. He sat in an old, cracked leather chair he was pretty sure the college board got off the side of the road, and waited for Hunk to knock. God, his room was disgusting.</p><p>“Hey bro,” Hunk smiled when Lance opened the door for him. He cast his eyes around Lance’s dorm, even though he had seen it a thousand times. He wrinkled his nose. “Your room is disgusting.”</p><p>“I know,” Lance sighed, throwing a sarcastic grin Hunk’s way. “So, what’s up? I’m dying of intrigue over here.” He lead his friend over to the cramped coffee table that was squashed near the chairs.</p><p>“Well,” Hunk dropped his satchel off his shoulder and grabbed his laptop from within it. “I’m just gonna preface this that, like, this is <em>big</em>. So, like, I understand if you wanna take a few days to decide.” Lance sat up better on his chair now, officially interested. Hunk wasn’t usually The Ideas Guy™, so him apparently dropping a bomb was quite a feat. Hunk typed on his laptop for a moment, and then with three errant clicks, he presented the screen with a flourish. Lance blinked.</p><p>“What the hell kind of name is the<em> Cat’s Eye Isle</em>?”</p>
<hr/><p>“Welcome, to the Cat’s Eye Isle!” A moustache told him. Well, there was a man attached to the massive orange form in from of him, but that didn’t matter. All Lance could see was the moustache.</p><p>“Uh, thank you.” Hunk already had a massive straw hat sitting on his head, and sweat was staining his headband. Moustache beamed at them, somehow wearing a lavender version of a butlers uniform in this heat. Lance could feel his shoulders already burning in the tank top he’d chosen to wear.</p><p>“My name is Coran, and I am, amongst many other things, the staff relations advisor on the Isle.” He extended a hand out to shake, and Lance knew he must be either a zombie or an alien as no human being could wear gloves in this heat.</p><p>“A what?” Lance shook the glove and peered around at the ferns and cycads that leafed out from the airport car park.</p><p>“Basically, I’m going to be your confidant while you’re here.” Coran beamed. “Think of me as a best friend. Now, as I’m sure you know, contracts are renewed yearly, so unless there are extenuating circumstances, you will be here all year.” Coran walked them over to a minibus and guided them inside. Lance took the seat across from Hunk and gazed out the window, half-listening to the spiel Coran was giving them. “Your contract enables you to work in many different areas, as I am sure you know!” Coran navigated the winding road slowly so they could drink in the sights. Hunk grinned excitedly at Lance. “But we can cover all of that tomorrow, today you two just focus on settling in.”</p><p>He showed Lance and Hunk to their new homes; two small cabins next to each other along the sandy path that was lined with identical living spaces. The units were made of a dark redwood, with a plain door and a single window on the front face. The door had a peephole, just below the small, slightly rusted silver number. There was a small veranda-like structure outside each cabin, enough that the person who was exiting wasn’t blinded by direct sunlight as soon as they left.</p><p>They were number thirty-six and thirty-seven.</p><p>“Cute,” Lance said. It was smaller than he had expected, but hey, it was literally just him, and he didn’t need too much. Hunk agreed with him, and they both accepted keys from Coran.</p><p>“I’ll see you tomorrow, boys!” Coran beamed at them again, and Lance was loving the vibe. “There’s a supermarket on the main street if you want to stock up, but I would use this chance to go see the sights of the Isle! You have both secured positions at La Cocina, so I would suggest heading over there for dinner and seeing what makes the place so amazing!” Lance looked at Hunk, who shrugged.</p><p>“Sounds good to me,” He said. He twisted his key in the lock of his new home and opened the door, seeing nothing before his eyes adjusted to the gloom inside. Before he went in, however, there was one kink in the plan he had to iron out. Lance turned back to Coran, who was still smiling.</p><p>“Um, Coran?” He asked with an answering grin. “Where exactly <em>is</em> La Cocina?”</p>
<hr/><p>“Do it,” Hunk said.</p><p>“No,” Lance answered.</p><p>“<em>Do it.</em>” Nyma insisted. Apparently, a perk of her being assistant manager at La Cocina meant she could dare her staff to do ridiculous things. Like, say, forgetting the <em>English language</em>.</p><p>“<em>No</em>,” Lane said again, crossing his arms over his chest.</p><p>“Fine. Fine!” Nyma clenched her hands into fists, but placed them calmly onto the host desk in front of her, and smiled icily at him. “Then you owe both me and Hunk twenty bucks. Each.”</p><p>“What?” Lance looked at Hunk to back him up, but his best friend betrayed him and just shrugged like ‘<em>that’s the rules, bro’</em>, That’s definitely NOT the rules, bro! “We never said that!”</p><p>Hunk opened his hands placatingly. “C’mon, dude, they’re booked under <em>Kennington-Jones</em>. You can’t get a richer name than that. It’ll be funny, and they’ll love it! No one will be hurt!” He said, and Lance grit his teeth. <em>He</em> was gonna get hurt. Or, more specifically, his pride will never return from the war they were begging him to send it out on. But. Fine.</p><p>“Fine.” He choked out.</p><p>Fine.</p><p>A few minutes later, Lance grit his teeth, flipped Nyma and Hunk the bird from where they were watching at the bar, and greeted the Kennington-Jones'.</p><p>“<em>Hola!</em>” Lance waved at the middle-aged woman and her husband who had just approached the host desk with a huge smile on his face. The woman gasped. Wow. Real Spanish, could you believe it?</p><p>“Ho-la,” The man beamed back, and Lance felt awful. These guys were having a great holiday, and he was taking the mickey out of them. Ugh. Even if he had pronounced <em>hola</em> with the H.</p><p>“How about that weather, right?” Lance felt his grin fade into something a little more natural, now he was entering the Serving Zone™, as Hunk liked to call it. “My name is Lance, and I will be looking after you today.” He waved them through to their table, and quickly scribbled down their drink order.</p><p>“I’m not doing any more,” Lance said, when he smacked the docket up at the bar for Nyma and Hunk to see. “It’s their anniversary, and as much as you two would like to see it, I’m not gonna pretend to get confused and ‘<em>forget English’</em> and talk to them in Spanish.”</p><p>“Spoilsport,” Nyma rolled her eyes and stalked off to make a Lychee Something-Something that involved at least three sparkling bottles of spirits.</p><p>“No worries man,” Hunk smiled, not even mad at Lance for chickening out. “We’ve only been here three months- we’ll find some way to make our own fun.”</p><p>“Just not at other people’s expense,” Lance knew Hunk hadn’t teamed up with Nyma to be cruel, but it was a little mean to fuck around with nice customers. They were lucky it was the slow season and they weren’t getting slammed with orders.</p><p>“I agree.” Hunk said, and patted Lance’s arm. “But if they click at you, you’re totally allowed to go stereotype ghetto Latinx on them.”</p><p>“Roger that,” Lance fired a finger gun at him and went back to the tables.</p>
<hr/><p>Nyma took them to The Cat’s Pyjamas for the first time, introducing them to the bouncers and floating her way inside. She was wrapped in a sparkly purple minidress and Lance was almost drooling as he followed her in.</p><p>“Bro, she’s, like, our boss.” Hunk said. Lance nodded, watching Nyma flirt with the bar staff and- hey, he knew the bar staff too! And the DJ! Awesome.</p><p>“I know,” He said, watching the dress cling to her thighs.</p><p>“She’ll eat you alive.” Hunk said.</p><p>“I’ll get over it,” Lance replied.</p><p>Nyma returned with six shots and three drinks on a tray, winking a glittery eye and saying first round was on her (so, probably on the poor bartender, who was looking forlornly after her).</p><p>“What’s this?” Lance asked, pointing to their first shot, which was a three-layered nightmare. Nyma leered, placing the tray down on a flat surface and handing out the brown-green-caramel coloured shooters.</p><p>“I asked him for a Quick Fuck.” She smiled and they cheers-ed before downing it. Nyma looked at the both of them with disgust. “Okay, first step: you cheers the shots. You got that right.” She held up two fingers. “But next, you have to tap the shot glass on the bar again.” Since they weren’t at the bar, she tapped her glass on the tray. “<em>Then</em> you can drink it, okay?” She did her shot, and looked at them meaningfully as she handed out the next round.</p><p>The next shot was bubble-gum green coloured, and smelled like a sugar high. “I know this one,” Hunk picked it up and Lance shot his friend a surprised look. Hunk shrugged. “I have a life outside you, you know.”</p><p>“No you don’t,” Lance said.</p><p>“Shut up.” Hunk smiled at Nyma. “A Bazooka Joe, right? Banana, Blue Curacao, and Irish Crème?”</p><p>“Got it in one,” Nyma held up her shot, and they tapped them together once more, before knocking them on the tray. Nyma beamed.</p><p>“Boys,” She grabbed her drink, then looped her arms around Lance and Hunk’s shoulders to steer them into the throbbing crowd of the nightclub. “We are going to have. The. <em>Best</em>. Night.”</p>
<hr/><p>Carrie was the first. She had everything Lance adored; a sparkling laugh, an outrageous attitude, and she showered him with attention. She had chin-length hair that was bright copper on the top that merged into a deep blue. Her eyes were a warm brown, and her face was covered in freckles. Lance met Carrie at northbeach where she had shown up to hire paddleboarding equipment with sparkly silver eyeliner and a rainbow bathing suit. The lanky guy she was with hung back from the marquee, and Lance shot him half a nod in acknowledgement. She grinned and flirted with him for maybe half a second and Lance was smitten.</p><p>“Hey, I’m serving drinks at the pavilion tonight,” He said. She cocked her head, a teasing grin forming on her lips. “You should come down and chat. There may be some free alcohol in it for you.”</p><p>He knew he was desperate, but she came anyway. She waited until the end of his shift, sipping every second rum and coke for free, dressed in a crop top, shorts, fishnet stockings and Docs. Lance walked her back to her hotel and she kissed him sloppily. She cupped the back of his head and giggled into his mouth so he could taste the soft drink.</p><p>“Don’t tell my boyfriend,” She’d laughed, then kissed him once more and waved him goodbye, leaving Lance to feel ashamed and dirty.</p><p>The next time they met, he charged her $7.50 for a rum and coke, and she never spoke to him again.</p>
<hr/><p>Coran trundled through the staff housing on a little buggy, which Lance watched from Hunk’s hammock. Hunk’s mum had sent it over last month as a ‘six-months away from home’ gift, and he was pretty sure he used it more than Hunk did. At the moment though, Hunk was squished right there alongside him, and both of them had a book in one hand and one of Nyma’s <em>special slurpies</em> in the other. It was a rare off day for the both of them, and they were, as Hunk said, <em>taking it mellow</em>.</p><p>Coran beeped at them and the small engine puttered out where he pulled over in front of their cabins. Hunk waved.</p><p>“Boys!” Coran was as eager as always, grinning from ear to ear in his lavender suit. Beside him in the passenger seat was a woman in a white T-shirt tied off at the waist and denim shorts. She stepped out when he did, nervously coming around the side of the car. “I want to introduce you two to someone!”</p><p>Lance and Hunk really didn’t know why Coran had taken such a liking to them, but it was lucky he did. From what they knew, all the staff were under Coran’s care and management, but only a few did he take an expressive interest in. Coran had stopped by the bakery many times to ensure Hunk was getting all he could from the skilled bakers there, and had taken a personal touch in teaching Lance his many jobs around the Isle. Nyma teased them for being favourites mercilessly, and they couldn’t really argue.</p><p>“This is Shay! She will be living in unit thirty-eight, so I hoped you boys would be around so I could introduce you!” Shay was a knockout beauty, probably taller than them both with dark skin and lovely golden hair tied up in space buns atop her head. She had thick eyebrows and light eyes and was nervously smiling at them while gripping the straps of a worn duffel bag.</p><p>“Hi,” She said, lifting an arm and waving. The boys were both entranced, watching the muscles ripple in the waving arm. Shay was <em>fit</em>, dear Lord.</p><p>“Coran told me a lot about you guys,” That comment made Hunk and Lance snap out of it, and they both grimaced.</p><p>“Was it that Lance chugged the leftover Bloody Mary mix the other day at Coran’s request?” Hunk said sweetly, and Coran flushed.</p><p>“Hunk, m’boy! Let’s not start spreading rumours!” He made a ‘<em>quit it</em>’ motion from behind Shay’s back where he was unloading her bags from the buggy. Lance felt instantly queasy at the memory. He had yarfed something fierce afterwards, with Nyma patting him on the back and laughing at him while Coran shrugged in the background.</p><p>“Or was it that Coran had to fish Hunk out of the water in the middle of the night after PJs one time?” Lance poked his tongue out at Hunk, wanting to ruin his first impression with Shay in return. Shay was hiding her laughter behind her hand now, and Coran looked mortified.</p><p>“Boys, let’s not let the stellar reputation of the Cat’s Eye Isle staff start to slip, please!” Coran besought tragically. It hadn’t been as dramatic as Lance had laid out. Coran had just found Hunk and Lance continuing to dance on the beach at about 5 a.m. after a night at the Cat’s Pyjamas, and Hunk had run into the waves for fun. Coran had had to coax him out and drove them both back to the staff quarters, warning them to not be in view of potential vacationers next time.</p><p>“Sorry, Coran,” Lance grinned, and Hunk hefted himself off the hammock to go help Coran with the bags. Lance sipped his slurpy and looked at Shay. “So where are you from?” He asked. Shay moved closer, casting an eye around at the hammock and Lance’s windchime tinkling softly in the breeze.</p><p>“My family live on Hawaii, actually,” Shay smiled back, dropping her duffel in the dust. “So this isn’t so new to me,”</p><p>“Oh yeah?” Lance nodded, stirring his straw around his drink so the alcohol mixed in some more. Nyma always made them way too strong. “That’s awesome. Me ‘n’ Hunk are from New Mexico.”</p><p>“Cool.” Shay shuffled her sneakered feet in the dirt. “Hey,” She leaned in conspiringly and lowered her voice. “What’s snorkel-board? Coran keeps saying it and I have no idea what that means.” Lance let an ugly snort out of his nose and waved off Hunk’s questioning look.</p><p>“Don’t worry about it too much,” he said. “I can tell you’ll learn the ropes in no time.”</p>
<hr/><p>“Do you think the Curtis will play Mambo No. 5?” Lance yelled into Hunk’s ear as they jumped to the beat on the dancefloor at PJs. Hunk rolled his eyes affectionately.</p><p>“Of course he will, you ask him every time you come here!” Hunk shouted back. Lance made his way to the bar to buy two drinks, and then started to weave his way through the crowd over to the DJ booth when he met Curtis’ eyes underneath the huge headphones he wore. Curtis nodded in acknowledgement and shot Lance a thumbs-up, and before Lance could even speak, the familiar beat began over the speakers.</p><p>Lance grinned and deposited the drinks he’d bought on the edge of the booth before waving and heading back to the crowd.</p><p>“Guys, it’s like I’m a celebrity,” Lance said, looping one arm around Hunk’s waist, and the other around Shay’s. Nyma was working tonight and couldn’t make it, and promptly told them to <em>stick it</em> when they said they were going without her. “Curtis knew what I wanted before I even asked.” He grinned at his friends. This was the fucking life.</p>
<hr/><p>“We’d like to get some an-tow-gee-toes.” The man pointed at the word, and Lance chuckled. Classic customers having him on. His laughter stopped, however, when the man did not laugh too. Oops.</p><p>“Some antojitos? No problem, sir, which ones were you after?” Lance poised his pen over his notepad nervously. He wasn’t going to mispronounce Spanish for this idiot, but he would prefer if they left the pronunciation debacle this already was at that. The family had been here for a while already, making good use of the free tortilla chips and guac, and had had a few rounds of drinks too.</p><p>“Please, I backpacked through Mexico in my sophomore year of college, I think I know how it’s said.” The condescension almost dripped from the man’s words, and Lance blinked, feeling anger begin to bubble up inside him. No, quit it, take a step back. He blinked and took a deep breath through his nose.</p><p>“Of course. Which ones can I get for you?” Lance smiled painfully, fully aware of the wife and two children and probably weird uncle staring at him. The man snorted and pointed out his entrees, the alcohol making his cheeks ruddy. Lance scribbled them down and smiled again, before speeding to the till closest to the Host desk.</p><p>“Can we swap and you take this table?” He pleaded with Nyma, who was hosting that night. She took one look at the table.</p><p>“Nope.” She popped the ‘p’ and adjusted her apron.</p><p>“Please Nyma, I’ve already pissed him off and all I’ve done is drinks and antojitos.” He was almost begging. She smiled sympathetically before turning away and greeting a new set of customers. Fuck. Okay.</p><p>He brought their drinks over next from Hunk at the bar, setting them all neatly down and making small talk with the wife. She was nice, at least.</p><p>“Would you all like to order mains while I’m here? Or I can come back after another few minutes.” Lance asked, directing most of his question at the wife.</p><p>“Yeah.” The man said. Here we go. “The kids will have a quesadilla each-” Ooh nailed it. Maybe it was a once-off. “One tin-ga, one veggie-tales.”</p><p>Oh hell no.</p><p>“I’ll have a chicken fajita.” Weird uncle chimed in, obviously seeing Lance sweat. Lance nodded.</p><p>“For the wife and I,-” <em>Why</em> was this man ordering for everyone? Oh right, probably because he ‘backpacked around Mexico’. “It’ll be the calla-bazza why beren-jenna, and the cor-derro en adoo-boo.”</p><p>Holy fucking shit. Lance blinked, before writing the items down. Maybe he could just run without checking the order? Of course not.</p><p>“And another round of drinks.” Ace. “Could you read that back to us?”</p><p>“Okay.” Lance licked his dry lips and smiled. The man was watching him with beady eyes, one hand over his wife’s on the table, the other around the stem of his fresh frozè. Lance also saw Nyma watching from across the crowd at the Host desk, arms crossed. “That was two kids quesadillas-”</p><p>“The kids will have main size.” The man immediately interrupted, and Lance put on a pained smile once more. Fucking right. “Right.” Lance scribbled the change on his notepad. “Two main size quesadillas,” He couldn’t stop the scathing tone, but immediately reigned it in. “One tinga and one vegetales.” Wife nodded, squeezing her husband’s hand. Lance ploughed on. “One chicken fajita,” Uncle’s turn to nod. “One calabaza y berenjena ensalada, and one cordero en adobo. And another round.” Lance looked up from his notepad to see the man glaring at him. There was a beat of silence.</p><p>“Are you making fun of me?” He asked. Lance began to panic.</p><p>“Of course not, sir.” Lance tucked his notepad in his apron pocket and looked beseechingly at the wife, and when he got nothing, he raised his anxious eyes to Nyma across the crowd.</p><p>“Then what gibberish did you just say in the order?” The man made a move that almost looked like he was going to stand, but at the last minute changed his mind. Lance’s eyes snapped back to him.</p><p>“I’m sorry, sir. I was only-” Only what? Pronouncing the Spanish he’d been speaking since birth correctly? Yeah, sorry. “It’s just, I know our menu. I know Spanish can be tricky to pronounce.”</p><p>“Excuse me?” Instead of getting up, the man swung his body around on the seat so he was fully facing Lance. Now that was a threat, but Lance knew better than to step back and provoke the man. Plus, surely he wouldn’t do anything in front of his kids? He looked up again but Nyma was gone from the desk.</p><p>“I promise I’m not making fun of you, dude,” Lance spread his arms in submission, trying to seem as passive as possible. “I just- I speak Spanish so I just thought-”</p><p>He gasped as the man flicked his hand, and suddenly frozè was in his mouth, on his chin, and all down his front. He heard a startled squeak from the wife and then a sudden- quietness. The whole restaurant had stopped and was staring.</p><p>Lance looked down his front and watched a slurry of frozen wine drip onto the floor, and then looked up at the man, who looked almost as startled as Lance himself. Fuck. He was going to get into so much trouble for upsetting a customer this badly. And he caused a huge scene. Was he going to get fired? Could he stay on the Isle at his other jobs if he was fired from one place? Could-</p><p>“You have to leave,” Suddenly, Nyma was there, her back to him, arms crossed, and standing tall in front of the man. He blinked and opened his mouth, but she just held up a hand.</p><p>“I’m sorry, but you have assaulted a staff member, and you need to leave.” Her voice was clear and carried across the room so everyone could hear. Lance felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned around to Hunk, who gave him a tea towel to wipe the frozè off with. He took it blankly, not really registering what had just happened, and went with Hunk when he guided him to the bar.</p><p>“He-” The man looked around and saw the entire restaurant watching. Other staff members had now come to the bar to see the commotion and were crowding around Lance.</p><p>“Lance did nothing wrong. I heard the last bit of your exchange and he had no fault except perhaps giving you that last round of drinks.” Nyma moved to the side and gestured to the door. “Now you have to leave, but your family are welcome to stay, for now.”</p><p>“I-” He began to protest again, looking to the bar with fury, but Hunk stood in front of Lance to hide him from view.</p><p>“Jesus, Mark, let’s just fucking go.” Weird uncle came in clutch once again and grabbed his wallet and bags, stopping to down his Old Fashioned and salute the staff at the bar.</p><p>“I’m so sorry,” The wife gathered her kids, then scribbled a note on a serviette and handed it to Nyma. “Please charge it all to our room, plus tip.”</p><p>The man had no choice but to follow his family out, Nyma walking behind them until the Host desk, standing fearlessly as she watched them leave.</p><p>“Sorry about that folks.” Nyma turned back to the remaining customers and flashed her winning smile. “Everyone please accept a free antojito or dessert per table as compensation for the interruption to your meals.” She turned back to the bar and quickly made her way over to Lance. She smiled at him and, for all its worth, he started to smile back. It was… kinda funny, actually.</p><p>“I promise you,” She gathered his hands in hers and grinned and how could Lance not love her a little bit after this? “In a few weeks, this story is going to be a fucking legend.”</p>
<hr/><p>Hunk and Lance were lying side by side on Lance’s bed, watching the clouds slowly drift across the sky outside his window. Hunk was lying with his arms outstretched and Lance had his head pillowed on Hunk’s bicep. Nyma was stretched out on the end of the bed, her eyes closed and her hair in cute plaited pigtails. They were all listening to music quietly beat from Lance’s portable speaker. Nyma had made them all special slurpies, and they had spent the earlier part of the afternoon at the North Beach bar drinking Midori Splices, and everyone was feeling pretty swell.</p><p>“Hey,” Hunk said into the quiet. Lance looked at him through half-lidded eyes, and Nyma grunted from the end of the bed. “I think I’m in love with Shay.”</p><p>There was a beat of silence before Nyma took a loud sip of slurpy. “Mood,” She said. Lance nodded. He saw Hunk peek out from under his lashes at him.</p><p>“Dude,” Lance said. “I say this with absolute sincerity.” He patted Hunk’s thigh. “I think everyone is in love with Shay.”</p><p>Hunk smiled.</p>
<hr/><p>“So we just need them back by sundown.” Lance smiled and handed the couple a paddle each. “Any other questions?” They said no and were soon paddling off over the waves. Lance watched for a moment before turning to face Shay, who was working the snorkel-board station with him.</p><p>“So what are you doing tomorrow night?” Lance leant on the small bench next to her. They were both wearing the bright red lifeguard uniforms. “Me and Hunk and maybe Nyma are thinking of doing pizza and a movie at Hunk’s.”</p><p>Shay was about to answer but another few customers walked over wanting snorkelling gear, so she helped them first with a warm smile. Once finished, she turned back to him.</p><p>“Yeah, I think I’m free.” She fiddled with the end of her ponytail. “I finish at the café at like six, so I can come after. You guys won’t mind ordering vegan pizza for me?”</p><p>“Of course not.” Lance hooked a snorkelling mask over his head and made a face at Shay, who shook her head exasperatedly. “I even kind of like vegan cheese now.”</p><p>“I would feel so much more convinced if you didn’t sound like a Muppet right now.” Shay tried to hide her laugh behind her hand as Lance mimed snorkelling through the air. After another minute he took the mask off and they waited in a comfortable silence for more customers.</p><p>“Can I say something?” Shay watched the waves lapping at the golden sand, and Lance watched her.</p><p>“Sure,” Lance replied, wondering where this was going.</p><p>“This last year, with you guys and being here…” Shay ran a hand over the worn surface. “It’s probably been the best year of my life, I think.”</p><p>Lance pondered that. It had been almost two years since he and Hunk arrived on the Isle, and though he did love it… it was starting to wear on him. Sure, he <em>loved</em> his friends, but the work was tedious and long and a majority of the customers were condescending and didn’t give a shit about him. The couple of times he had been able to keep a customer’s attention for longer than a drink order hadn’t amounted to more than a few kisses here and there, because it always ended the same way. He stayed here and remained the same, and they went home and moved on.</p><p>But he understood where she was coming from. Waking up at the most breathtaking beach every day, spending days off on an exclusive vacation holiday, and he was with his best friend almost all the time. It sure beat college, but… he missed home.</p><p>“Yeah,” He said. He moved closer and leant his head on her shoulder. “Same here.”</p>
<hr/><p>Ishan ordered a Pina Colada with a cheeky grin and Lance looked at him for what was perhaps half a second before becoming smitten. He tested the water, charging Ishan full price with a wink and Ishan almost instantly flirted back. Alright.</p><p>Lance’s eyes followed him back to his table where Ishan joined what Lance could only assume where his parents and his sulking younger sister. The sister immediately went to grab for the cocktail but Ishan waved it teasingly out of reach before sucking half of it down in one go (which already impressed Lance- that was essentially an alcoholic slushie, not even Nyma could do that without a brain freeze), and then getting told off by the parents. Lance smirked and served another customer, but occasionally watched for the remainder of the evening. Ishan paid him a tip with his name and a phone number penned neatly onto the back of the receipt and a wink before leaving the pavilion, and Lance felt his throat close up with potential.</p><p>Ishan wanted to meet after midnight at the pier, which worked favourably with Lance’s end of shift time. He barely had time to say hello before Ishan was kissing him. They dallied over the next few days, Ishan texting him when he was free and Lance making himself available.</p><p>Three days before Ishan was slated to leave, he told Lance that it would be better for the both of them if they didn’t contact each other after the Isle. His parents didn’t know he was into guys, and Lance was, <em>y’know</em>, <em>a waiter</em>, which wouldn’t make anything better, so…</p><p>“Best we call it quits now,” Ishan finished buckling his pants, sweeping his hair from his eyes with an empty smile. Lance watched him without saying a word, his heart pained.</p><p>Ishan let himself out, and didn’t look back.</p>
<hr/><p>Lance frowned as he read the docket, and flagged Hunk down as he walked past. “Your table ordered <em>another</em> tequila sunrise,” Lance nodded his head towards the woman who was sucking down her drink in her seat. She had already smeared her pink lipstick around her mouth and her main hadn’t even come out yet. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”</p><p>Hunk shrugged. “I don’t want a frozè to the face, man.” Lance rolled his eyes and pulled up the juice and grenadine. The frozè incident had gone down as something of a legend at La Cocina- even Coran had approached him and made sure he was- in Coran’s own words- safe, sane, and happy to continue working in the same environment. Which he was. It was a hilarious story now, and he liked to tell it to new staff to see how they handle it.</p><p>“It’s your funeral, man.” Lance said seriously. She had had a lot of tequila already, and she had been drinking doubles. God knows why, because El Jimador was probably the shittest tequila out there. “Make sure she has some water if she wants another after this one.” He gave Hunk the drink and watched as he delivered it.</p><p>Saturday night at La Cocina was always very busy, and this night was no different. Lance soon forgot about the woman at Hunk’s table until the next order came through.</p><p>“Dude,” Lance hated to flag him down during a busy service, but the law was the law. “Has she had any water?” Lance looked at her judgementally. “She looks shitfaced.”</p><p>Hunk looked ashamed. “I couldn’t ask her to, man. It’s her birthday. They’re going to PJs after this.” Lance rolled his eyes.</p><p>“She’s not gonna make it that far, bud, if she doesn’t have any water.” He waved the docket at him. “Look, blame me if you want. Tell her I cut her off for a half-hour and to make sure she has water and then all will be good.” He heard a cheer and watched as Nyma delivered a serving of pork pibil to the woman, who leaned drunkenly onto Nyma to thank her. Nyma neatly uncoupled herself and smiled, walking off and making sure the woman wasn’t looking before making a definitive <em>cut off</em> gesture to Lance and Hunk at the bar. Lance looked at Hunk, who huffed.</p><p>“<em>Fine</em>.”</p><p>He gave him a tall glass of iced water and a wink and watched Hunk walk back to the table with a winning smile. At least it couldn’t be as bad as the frozè incident.</p><p>“<em>What do you mean </em>cut off<em>?</em>” He heard a scream and looked up, alarmed. Nyma’s head snapped up from the host desk as well, as Hunk stepped away from the woman who was screaming at him.</p><p>“W-well,” Hunk cringed behind the drink tray. “I think it would be a good idea if-”</p><p>“You <em>don’t</em> get to tell me what to do!” The woman shrieked. Lance watched with horror as the woman opened her mouth to scream again, before turning a sickly shade of white and vomiting right into her pork pibil.</p><p><em>Ho-ly shit</em>!</p><p>Nyma appeared at Hunk’s elbow and shooed him to the bar before turning and taking care of the situation. Lance held his arms out to his friend, who gripped his shoulders.</p><p>“What the fuck just happened?” Hunk asked. Lance tried to hide the grin spreading over his face but he couldn’t contain it.</p><p>“Welcome to Legend, status, bud.” He said.</p>
<hr/><p>“Can you believe it’s been two years already?” Lance dragged his feet through the water, staring down into the waves. Hunk was watching the sunburn orange across the sky, melding into shades of pink and then blue. They were pressed shoulder to shoulder on the water-level platform of the pier, the night air becoming cooler around them.</p><p>“No,” Hunk answered honestly. Lance looked up from the waves and watched his best friend crinkle his brow. “But somehow I feel…” Hunk sighed. “I dunno.” He ran a fingernail over the worn wood of the pier.</p><p>“Over it?” Lance cracked a smile as Hunk shot him a guilty look.</p><p>“Yeah,” It was Hunk’s turn to now watch the water, moving restlessly with the current. “I’m sure it’ll pass, though.”</p><p>Lance looked at his friend, and imagined going home. The feeling of relief that washed over him was immense and freeing. They were going to talk about their contract with Coran soon, sometime in the next month. Maybe this was the time to bring it up.</p><p>“What if it didn’t have to, though?” He said.</p>
<hr/><p>“Go away.” Nyma shoved at him, her hair neatly done up off her neck, lips painted a slick shade of red.</p><p>“But Nyma,” He pleaded.</p><p>“No. You quit on me, and now I have to deal with the knowledge that you’re leaving. So go away.” She turned her back on him and crossed her arms. Customers milled sluggishly about, but the lunch rush hadn’t started just yet.</p><p>Lance put his hand on her shoulder. “Can we just-”</p><p>“<em>Piss off, </em>Lance!” She jerked out from under his hand, and Lance lifted his hands in surrender. She must be <em>actually</em> mad at him, which kind of made him feel happy. He never really knew if Nyma had liked him after all these years, even after the frozè incident, but here was his proof. “Customers.” She warned, shooting him a scathing look and sending him off back to his cocktail bench.</p><p>He idly watched her seat a table of five young adults, and flipped through the cocktail menu like he hadn’t spent two and a half years memorising it. Flicking his eyes up, he saw two people beelining towards him, so he straightened his shoulders and brought that winning customer service smile to his lips and… holy shit.</p><p>What was in the water where these people came from?</p><p>He watched them stop for a moment a few feet from him and whisper, the girl looking extremely giddy when she turned back to him, and the boy looking frustrated and at his feet.</p><p>The girl reached him first, beaming at him. He’d never seen someone so beautiful. Wait, beautiful was the wrong word. Maybe… Ethereal. She had dark skin and light eyes, a pointed, elvish face, and most dramatically she had long silver hair tied away from her face in a swishing ponytail. “Hi there!” She chirped, putting both elbows on the bar and sliding the cocktail menu over to her friend. Lance was gobsmacked.</p><p>“Hi, beautiful,” He grinned in return, watching as she rolled her eyes and the smile slipped off her face. Whoops. Back to business. “What can I get you?” He asked. He unclipped his pen from his apron and hovered the tip over his notepad.</p><p>“I’ll have a raspberry mojito, please.” Classic. “And my friend here will have…” She trailed off, and Lance looked at her friend.</p><p>Again, holy shit.</p><p>He watched as the man scooped his fringe off his forehead and tossed his friend a baleful glare before meeting Lance’s eyes. Now <em>this</em>… this was beautiful. He had tied his dark hair back off his neck but his bangs still fell into his eyes and over his ears. He was only a little shorter than Lance, but strong- Lance could see the muscles rippling in his arms as he leafed through the menu nervously. He was also blushing, the pink staining his pale cheeks and across the bridge of his nose. His eyes were dark but not brown, almost lavender in colour, and what the fuck Lance needed to be listening because this Adonis had just listed like three cocktails in one breath and Lance hadn’t written a thing down.</p><p>“Hard day?” Lance asked jokingly as he hastily scribbled the order. He glanced up at the man from under his lashes again, seemingly against his will.</p><p>“They’re not all for me!” The man squeaked, and Lance didn’t even try to stop the laugh that bubbled up through him.</p><p>“Just the four for you guys, then?” Lance smiled. Back to work, he knew how to handle that.</p><p>“Actually, I forgot mine, sorry.” He said, and Lance was entranced. He wouldn’t be surprised if he was drooling. “A Cosmo for me, please.”</p><p>“No worries, gorgeous.” Lance almost missed the words come out of his own fucking mouth and what the fuck. No normal person hit on one friend then moved onto the other like a sex-crazed fool, you <em>idiot</em>. Fuck. Feeling embarrassed, Lance concentrated on the word <em>cosmopolitan</em> on the notepad as he wrote it. Yikes.</p><p>He expected a cussing out or at least to be told off, not the breathless “T-Thanks,” that followed, and Lance looked up in time to see the angelic woman beaming.</p><p>“Yes, thank you, <em>Lance</em>,” She said. Lance, feeling as though he may not have fucked up as much now, winked and flicked his nametag. He finished processing their order before laying their receipt on the counter.</p><p>“So, are you guys paying now, or putting it on your tab?” He asked, trying not to let his heart-eyes be too obvious as he watched the dark-haired hottie get the key from his pocket.</p><p>“Tab, please,” He said, frowning in concentration at the room key.</p><p>“No worries, just sign your name, the hotel, and the room number you want the stuff charged to down the bottom here.” Lance pointed to the space at the bottom of the docket with his pen and then handed it over, smiling.</p><p>“I’ll do it!” The girl practically snatched the pen from him and the key from her friend, and very obviously moved away from them to sign the receipt. Lance blinked. What the heck was going on? He saw the boy look at him with the same confused expression, so Lance beamed.</p><p>“So where are you staying?” Lance asked casually, trying to sound nonchalant regarding his desire to find out more about these two. He set up the Pina Colada in the blender before bringing up a bottle of rum and a bottle of curacao onto the counter and poured ice into a cocktail shaker. He could make a Mai Tai in his sleep, which was good now so he could sneak glances at the man across the counter. He also noticed the girl watching them out of the corner of her eye with a smile, which was kinda weird.</p><p>“Um, <em>The Altean</em>.” The man said, and holy shit. That place is one of the fancier hotels on the Isle, which means these people were probably loaded as fuck. “We flew in this morning.”</p><p>“We’re here for ten days,” The girl slid the receipt over to Lance. “Any recommendations while we’re here?” She asked over the rattle of the cocktail shaker.</p><p>“That’s your Mai Tai,” Lace propped the orange drink onto the counter. He blew a short puff of air through his nose. What a question. He started the mojito while he prattled on, and hey, if he suggested all the places he worked, then who’d know? “And, look, there’s heaps to do here on the Isle. Personally, I’d recommend stand-up paddleboarding, which is super relaxing and fun, and then there’s yoga, if you guys get up early enough for it.” He paused the mojito when the blender stopped, then poured the (now-blended) Pina Colada into a glass and set about adding the decorative pineapple and little umbrella. “They’re all free; yoga is at seven a.m. so we can watch the sunrise, and you can grab some paddleboards from the marquee down on north beach. That’s the Pina Colada, by the way.” He poured sugar syrup, rum, and soda water into the mojito glass, absently pursing his lips in thought. “As for restaurants, I’d go for The Marine for fresh seafood and stuff like that, and then there’s La Cocina for, like, your Mexican food- their jalapeno poppers are the <em>best</em>. Raspberry Mojito,” He set the third drink down next to the others. “There’s also the nightclub PJs-” Whoops. Coran had told them not to call it that in front of customers because it was too confusing, but fuck it now, he’d already gone and said it. “Well, it’s called the Cat’s Pyjamas because, you know, Cat’s Eye Isle, but everyone just called it PJs.” Lance was now getting self-conscious about how much he was waffling on, but not enough to stop. He grabbed the tequila next. “PJs is only open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, though.”</p><p>He had to turn around to grab the orange juice from the little bar fridge, and as he did so he heard the woman speak. “I’m gonna take these three back to the table.” She said. “I’ll meet you back there, <em>Keith</em>.” She almost yelled the last word- hottie’s name, he assumed- at the end and even Lance could take a hint. Okay, that was her game. He could play. He turned around in time to see her give the boy- Keith- a huge thumbs up before grabbing the drinks and traipsing back to the table. Keith’s face was almost glowing pink, and he winced apologetically at Lance.</p><p>“Uh,” Keith stuttered. Lance continued to make the Tequila Sunrise before grinning to himself and grabbing the ingredients for a Cosmopolitan. “So what’s it like, working here?”</p><p>Yikes, this dude did not have <em>any</em> game by the sound of it. But Lance could work with that.</p><p>“Oh dude, it’s insane. I’ve got my own room-” Wink wink, Keith. “-It’s in the staff quarters so, like, we’re boxed up like sardines but I thought for sure we’d be rooming, but we don’t! So my own space is fantastic <em>plus</em> I’m neighbours with my best friend! We applied for the job at the same time and we both got it so it’s been so great, dude.” Okay, so he doesn’t need to know about Lance’s personal life but it was already out and Lance just kept talking to override the awkwardness. “And well, it’s hard work but- you said the Cosmo was yours, right?” He lined the Tequila Sunrise on the counter and watched as Keith nodded. Lance tried to keep his smirk to himself as he began to make the last drink. “Yeah, the work is hard because we get trained in like every station all over the Isle but they give us like two days a week off, sometimes in a row, and it’s so good. We hit up PJs when we’re off- ‘we’ being all the staff- and the crowd is great, and all the customers are usually <em>so</em> chill, though none are usually as good looking as you.” Ah. Whoops. Lance really didn’t know when to stop talking, and now that had gone and slipped out. He had been distracted by adding a little more triple sec than usual to the Cosmo and gone and done <em>that</em>. He looked up and watched Keith’s face change from slightly interested to flustered, and Lance felt himself retreat into the collar of his work shirt.</p><p>Lance waved a hand and felt himself start to blush. “Look, man, sorry if I made you uncomfortable, I just-”</p><p>“Ah, no,” Keith settled back on his heels and smiled, and relief crashed into him like a ton of bricks. “No, you didn’t.” Keith leant forward onto the counter, and Lance tried not to smile as he added the finishing touches on the Cosmo. “I’m just not used to people, um, complimenting me like that,” Keith added. Lance met his eyes.</p><p>Lance brought up the Cosmopolitan and placed it gently near the other cocktail. “Well, you should be. You’re insanely good looking.”</p><p>“Okay, <em>now</em> you’re making me uncomfortable,” Keith bashfully looked away, and Lance almost swooned at how cute that was.</p><p>“Sorry, sorry,” Lance laughed, moving the drinks towards Keith. Normally his flirting wasn’t so successful- if ever- and now he wanted to push his luck. “Oh hey, La Cocina is having a taco special on tonight, if you guys wanted a good night out. Taco Thursday.” He said slyly.</p><p>“Taco Thursday?” He watched the bafflement cross Keith’s face. He rolled his eyes in response.</p><p>“I know right, it’s shitty. Like, everyone knows Taco Tuesday, but here we are. <em>But</em>, happy Hour is from five to seven p.m.,” Lance winked, and watched Keith carefully grab the drinks from the bar. If they were drinking now, maybe he could entice Keith and his group with cheap(er) drinks with dinner. If he didn’t like tacos then Lance was gonna have to call it off now. “Cocktails are only ten bucks. Plus, cheap tacos. Taco Thursday. Get with it.”</p><p>Keith wrinkled his nose, and Lance loved it. “Maybe.” He was almost disappointed when Keith took a step back from the bar. “Bye, Lance.”</p><p>Oh, he’d used his name. He was so totally coming for tacos tonight. “See you around, <em>Keith.</em>” Lance grinned salaciously, and wiped his hands on his apron before waving cheerily. He hoped he enjoyed that jacked-up Cosmo. Before he could truly appreciate the view, a lady slid up to the bar and tossed him a crumpled napkin with eight cocktails messily written on there.</p><p>“Just those,” She snapped, before answering a phone call and ignoring Lance completely.</p><p>Right. Back to work.</p>
<hr/><p>“And then you’ve got a table for five under Allura in at six-thirty, Spades for two at six-forty-five, then three tables of two at seven.” Nyma ran through the list and nodded at Lance. “That sound good?”</p><p>“Did you say Allura?” Lance asked, wondering if he misheard. Nyma rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Yes, dipshit.” She checked off her list. “Hunk is on host tonight, so try not to get too confused.” She said over her shoulder as she stalked away, weaving through the tables.</p><p>“Right,” Lance chewed his lower lip for a moment. Maybe Allura was a common name, and not just the one scrawled in swirly handwriting on that receipt? Definitely not. “Right. Hunk!” He called his friend and ran over to the bar where Hunk was sipping some water and scrolling on his phone. The shift didn’t start for another ten minutes, but they knew Nyma appreciated early arrival of staff.</p><p>Hunk looked up from his phone. “Hey, bud.” He said.</p><p>“Hey, listen.” Lance said quickly as he grasped the edge of the bar. “You know that cute guy I told you about from today? I think he’s coming to dinner tonight. Lance grabbed Hunk’s glass and took a sip.</p><p>“Nice,” Hunk grinned.</p><p>“I need you to make sure I don’t make a fool of myself.” Lance pleaded.</p><p>“What’s the booking name under?” Hunk asked. “Ooh, you said they were cool, right? Ask them to PJs tomorrow night.”</p><p>“I can’t ask them to <em>PJs</em>,” Lance hissed. “They’re <em>so cool</em>, dude, just wait till you see them.” He had taken a peek (or two… or eight) at Keith and his group of friends when cleaning tables and taking drinks at the Pavilion, and he was not lying. All of Keith’s friends were almost as beautiful as he was, from the strange young girl who he had seen teasing Keith to the laid back pair of older guys who were leaning back and chatting quietly in their seats. It was like a model convention. He had blubbered to Nyma the whole time, but she had still been giving him the cold shoulder so that had kind of sucked.</p><p>“Why not?” Hunk tucked a dishtowel in his apron. “<em>You’re </em>cool.”</p><p>Lance made a face at him. “Dude, I think I still have Bloody Mary mix in my hair from lunch three days ago,” He said. “I am so far from cool.”</p><p>“You said he was into you!” Hunk was trying to keep the exasperated look from his face, but Lance could see through him.</p><p>“I say that about everybody!” Lance threw his hands into the air and walked off, because their time was up. Customers were already at the door, and now he had to work and get tips as well as worry about Hot Keith™ and his hot friends later.</p><p>Lance was concentrating on not spilling three dangerous-looking cocktails when glanced up and saw Hunk waving from across the room. Seated in front of him was Allura, who met Lance’s eyes with a giddy grin. Right.</p><p>He thanked the table he was at and dropped the tray off at the bar on his way over. Nyma was behind the bar and hissed “<em>Smile,</em>” at him on the way, so, with butterflies in his stomach, he grinned as he approached Hunk and met the table.</p><p>“Hi guys,” He felt Hunk clap him a little too hard on the back as he left, and he was gonna kill him for that later. Lance swept the table with his gaze, noting the group from close-up for the first time. “My name is Lance, and I’ll be helping you out this evening.” He noted the closed menus, and then his eyes flickered to Keith, who was watching him intensely. Good sign or bad sign? No clue. “I know you won’t have had time to look at the menus yet, so I’ll go grab you some water to give you guys a minute.”</p><p> He trotted off to go slap Hunk in return, but they were told off by Nyma when they got into a childish slap battle in the cutlery corner.</p><p>“Get a water jug for the hot people and for god’s sake, <em>be professional</em>,” She hissed at them, and Lance surrendered. He really tried to be professional for the rest of the evening, turning on that charming smile for Allura and Keith when offering them cocktails, <em>maybe</em> flirting a little, but going by Keith’s small, shy smiles it wasn't hurting anyone. He honestly tried not to laugh when one of the older guys emerged from behind his serviette and asked for milk, lips already swelling from the hot sauce, but he didn’t think he was successful.</p><p>They did seem really cool. They were all joking around, jostling each other and sharing jokes across the table. Lance was reminded of him and Hunk and Nyma and Shay, though the more alcohol Keith had the less he was reminded of his friends as Keith sent frequent heated looks his way. By the time they had finished their mains, Keith had a nice flush across the bridge of his nose and his eyes were glossy and warm.</p><p>Around the time tables were leaving and Keith and co. were finishing their tacos, Hunk grabbed Lance as he was passing by. Hunk was polishing cutlery with hot water and vinegar, and shot Lance the <em>look</em>.</p><p>“So how’s it going?” He asked. Lance scratched the back of his head sheepishly.</p><p>“Dude, they’re awesome. And Keith is hot.” He sounded like he was complaining, and he kind of was.</p><p>“Invite them to PJs!” Hunk insisted. Lance groaned.</p><p>“I dunno dude…” Lance fidgeted. “I just…” He looked down at his worn-out works shoes, which is why he didn’t know Hunk was going to smack him with the tea towel until he felt the sting on his arm.</p><p>“<em>Bro</em>,” Lance whined. Hunk rolled his eyes and waved him back to work.</p><p>“Dude. Keith hasn’t been able to take his eyes off you the whole night, and the others seem fun. Just invite them, you scaredy-cat.” Hunk said, and Lance couldn’t argue with that.</p><p>Lance returned to their table and began to grab their plates. “How was your food, guys?” He asked, and returned the gummy smile Keith sent his way.</p><p>“Really great,” The older man who had introduced himself as Shiro gave him two thumbs up, and Lance noted the one clearly prosthetic arm. “Sorry about the hot sauce though.” He had to laugh. The tiny spat that siblings Matt and Pidge (was that her real name?) had had over the hot sauce bottle was literally so far from up there on his list of debacles it was hilarious.</p><p>“Trust me, it’s definitely not the worst thing to happen in here. In fact, it doesn’t even make the list,” He leant on the back of Keith’s chair with one hand, cradling the dirty dishes against his chest with the other. He noted his hand was slightly brushing Keith’s shirt, but he didn’t move it. YOLO.</p><p>“Once,” He continued, noting them all looking at him with anticipation. “We had a lady who got so pissed on El Jimador that we had to cut her off- and she stood up and screamed at Hunk, who was the sucker who had her table that night, and made a huge scene and worked herself up so much she puked in her pork pibil and we kicked her out.” He shouldn’t really be telling them this, and speaking so crassly in the restaurant, but Allura choked on her cocktail from laughter, so he thought it would be okay. He grinned and went on. “<em>Then</em> she tried to get into PJs but I know the bouncer, so I told him what was up and she was <em>so</em> mad.” He glanced over at Hunk, who was glaring at him meaningfully from the cutlery drawer, and bit his lip. Once again… YOLO.</p><p>“Hey, if you guys aren’t doing anything tomorrow,” He almost felt Keith shift in his seat, looking up at him with interest. Okay. “Um, me and Hunk actually have the night off and were planning on going down to PJs…” Lance trailed off with a frown, fearing the butterflies in his belly were going to fly out his throat. Almost chickening out, he shot a look down and met Keith’s eyes for a moment. No. No chickening out. “And it’d be cool if you guys, like, wanted to come. We could meet up.” He blurted it out, almost running the words together. He watched the friends appraise each other and he wanted to die.</p><p>“Don’t- don’t like, feel pressured to come now that I’ve asked you or anything-” Run. He clutched the plates to his chest and took a step back, ready to run to Hunk and fucking floor him.</p><p>“No,” He was interrupted by Shiro, and for some reason he felt instantly calm. “No, I think we will come.” <em>What</em>? He raised his eyes to Lance’s with a smile. “Sounds like a good night.”</p><p>“Problem,” Lance snapped his gaze to the girl- Pidge. “I’m not 21 yet.”</p><p>Oh. No worries. It wouldn’t be the first time he had sweet-talked the bouncers. A plate of jalapeno poppers as a late-night snack would do nicely. He laughed in relief and shrugged his shoulders. “No worries,” He said, reaching over Keith and grabbing the last plate off the table. “Like I said, I know the bouncer.”</p><p>“Awesome,” Pidge answered. Lance felt his heart bloom in his chest.</p><p>“Guess we’ll see you tomorrow then,” Keith said, and Lance was feeling positively giddy. Keith was sending him straight-up bedroom eyes right now, and if he didn’t have three-day-old tomato juice in his hair then he would invite him back to his home right then and there.</p><p>“Yeah you will,” A little flirting couldn’t hurt, though. “Be there about 10.30 p.m. And Keith?” Keith was watching him almost obscenely, and maybe he shouldn’t have had Nyma give out doubles because this man was pretty drunk. It didn’t stop him, however. “Wear something cute.” Lance winked, before turning around and almost running to the kitchen before dropping the plates off, sitting on an upturned bucket, and silently screaming into his apron.</p>
<hr/><p>PJs was, as always, lit. From the sticky floorboards to the plants stuffed in every corner of the room, this was definitely Lance’s favourite bar. The neon lights splashed colour across the dancefloor, and Curtis flashed them a wave from the DJ booth as soon as he and Hunk walked through the door.</p><p>“Do you think they’re here yet?” Hunk yelled at him over the music. Lance shrugged, readjusting the Hawaiian shirt on his shoulders. They had dressed like they always had for PJs, but it was a little… kooky. Too late now, anyway. They had also had pre-drinks back at Hunk’s, just a few premixed cans, but enough to loosen them up.</p><p>Nyma was working at the pavilion that night and had kicked at their ankles when Hunk told her she would miss out on seeing Lance finally seducing someone. Shay was lifeguarding at another hotel’s pool, which didn’t finish until after ten o’clock, so she couldn’t join them either. The girls both decided to get pizza together and have an indulgent late-night of face-masks and action movies to make up for the boys ditching them.</p><p>It turns out Hot Keith™ and co. had gotten there before them. After Lance found him at the bar (and bought them a <em>lot</em> of alcohol) and Keith had pulled that stunt with the sugar-rimmed shots, Lance towed them to the dancefloor where Hunk had found the rest of the company. Hunk raised his eyebrows at Lance, and Lance mouthed <em>damn girl!</em> back, and then Keith was pulled away from him by Shiro. Lance greeted the others and drifted to Hunk who was already moving to Curtis’ beat, so he could do nothing but join in.</p><p>The night, surprisingly, passed similarly as other PJs nights. Hunk and Lance talked and goofed around, drinking and chatting and talking to the other staff who had a night off. At one point, he and Hunk sent a video to Nyma of them doing shots called <em>Apocalypse Now</em>- tequila, dry vermouth, and Irish crème. At another time, he acquired Hunk’s headband by sculling a pot of cider the fastest. By the time he had run into Keith again outside the bathroom, he was having a great time- maybe a few too many drinks in, but having a great time nonetheless.</p><p>He was a touchy drunk, as everyone pointed out. He wasn’t ashamed: he liked to cuddle, so sue him. But when he ran his fingers through Keith’s hair on impulse, something different from the usual drunk affection was curling in his stomach. So he moved closer, slinging an arm around Keith, pressing their foreheads together, steering him to the dancefloor, indulging in everything he could get. And Keith was giving it, letting him run his hands down his arms and hold his hips and <em>sway him</em> to the music. If Lance hadn’t been drunk before, he certainly would have been on all the touches and looks Keith was giving him.</p><p>And then <em>Mambo No. 5 </em>came on, and Lance needed to buy Curtis so many drinks to repay him. <em>Girls Just Wanna Have Fun</em> was next, and their friends appeared, Hunk clapping his shoulder while Allura practically snatched Keith away from him with a squeal. Matt had bought him a drink and <em>god</em> they were so cool. And… kind of his friends, now, too.</p><p>Hunk leaned into him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. “He’s gonna need to drink that fast, because he’s <em>thirsty</em>,” Hunk said, gesturing to Keith, who was holding his own glass. Lance slapped Hunk’s chest with a laugh, feeling his cheeks colour under the turquoise lights of the club, before turning to look at Keith as well. Sure enough, Keith was watching him, but before he could go over there and do something about it, Curtis started playing <em>Take on Me</em> over the speakers and Pidge (who Keith informed him was <em>nonbinary</em>, not a girl) went absolutely berserk beside them. Lance watched Keith burst into laughter, eyes crinkling while he raised a hand to cover his mouth self-consciously. He was truly beautiful when he laughed- when he did anything- and Lance was falling deeper every second. But then Allura was towing Keith off the dancefloor and Lance was watching him leave and then Shiro was tapping his arm.</p><p>“Hey,” Shiro called over the music. Curtis had put on another of his favourite songs, and the beat pounded through to dancefloor. Lance beamed.</p><p>“Hey!” He said.</p><p>“Listen, Lance, it looks like you really like Keith, and I just thought it would be best to let you know that Keith is…” Shiro searched for words, and Lance’s heart sunk. Uh oh. Big brother talk time?</p><p>“Emotionally stunted,” Pidge said from around his elbow, and Lance looked at them, confused. Shiro shot them a frown.</p><p>“<em>No,</em> not that. He’s just a little… cautious, when it comes to making the first move, and all.” Shiro was now looking at Lance seriously. Hunk was trying to conceal his snorts of laughter.</p><p>“If you catch our drift,” Pidge said. Lance looked from Shiro to Pidge and back again.</p><p>“I think I do?” Lance raised an eyebrow. “I mean, I think I catch your drift. I do really like him.” His heart thudded in his chest.</p><p>“Well… good.” Shiro nodded, but he was obviously in pain for having this conversation about his younger brother. Hunk was laughing into Lance’s shoulder now, and Lance smacked him.</p><p>It wasn’t much of a wait before Keith and Allura returned, and Lance grinned when he met Keith’s eyes. “Hey, I was wondering where you went.” He said. “You missed Eiffel 65.” Keith’s smile stayed even as he wrinkled his nose.</p><p>“What a shame,” Keith said, “Allura kidnapped me for some shots, so I’d say it was worth it.” Ah, that explained the glassy eyes and the water he now had in his hand. Keith had grabbed Lance’s sleeve, and was edging closer to him, finishing off his drink. Lance watched him tilt his head back, his throat bobbing. Hoo boy, noice.</p><p>“Um,” Keith was now inches away, searching Lance’s eyes, and Lance was celebrating every touch, every look. It had been so long since someone had wanted him this way. And he wanted Keith, too. “You said you come here a lot?” Shy, awkward Keith, who seriously just fed him a pick-up line.</p><p>“Did you just ask me if I come here often?” Lance was overjoyed, sliding impossibly closer and running a hand down Keith’s back.</p><p>“<em>No</em>,” Keith said immediately, which only made Lance smile wider. Keith curled his fingers into Lance’s collar, almost dragging him down towards him. “It wasn’t a pick-up line!”</p><p>“Oh, that’s a shame.” Lance dimmed his smile a little, remembering what Shiro had said. He raised his other hand so both were cradling Keith’s hips. “Because it would have worked.”</p><p>Keith licked his lips, and Lance tracked the movement. “Do you always fall for bad pick up lines?”</p><p>“Depends on who’s using them,” Lance swayed them absently to the beat of the music, feeling completely warm as he shut his eyes and leant his forehead against Keith’s. He could still see the neon light through his shut eyelids, electric blue lustrous in an endless void. It was sweaty and sticky and he could feel Keith grin as he nudged Lance’s jaw to the side just slightly so he could kiss him.</p><p>They broke apart, after how long Lance didn’t know, but he kept his forehead pressed to Keith’s, his eyes still shut. “You don’t know how much I want to take you home, Keith,”  He held on to Keith’s belt loops and pulled them together. He expected a gentle rejection now, empty promises that would go unfulfilled.</p><p>“So do it,” Keith murmured, and Lance finally opened his eyes only to have Keith kiss him again.</p><p>“Really?” It fell from his mouth unwillingly, and oh god what a dumbass. But Keith just smiled again, and turned to go say goodbye to his friends (who definitely weren’t watching them).</p><p>Ho-ly <em>shit</em>!</p><p>Lance drifted over to where Hunk was, and raised his arms. Hunk rolled his eyes and acknowledged him with a small smattering of applause. Lance gripped his friend’s face gleefully.</p><p>“I love you, man.” Lance said, and Hunk smiled.</p><p>“Love you too.” Hunk laughed. Lance took Hunk’s headband off (he’d forgotten he’d been wearing it) and handed it back, though it was quite sweaty and gross now. “I’ll see you tomorrow, buddy.” He raised his fist and Lance bumped it with his own. “I’ve got work in the a.m., so try not to be too loud.” Keith re-joined him right at that moment, and appeared severely amused by Hunk’s words.</p><p>“<em>Hunk</em>,” Lance chastised lightly. “Why when you finally make a funny joke does it have to be at my expense?” Hunk shrugged and waved at them, so Lance rolled his eyes and guided Keith from the club.</p>
<hr/><p>Lance woke suddenly, as he did every morning. He took a sharp inhale through his nose and reached out clumsily for his phone. When it wasn’t on its usual spot on the nightstand, panic flared through him, which woke him up enough to finally register the man sleeping next to him and the memories from last night to resurface. He smiled as the tension left his body. Keith wasn’t quite curled around him, but Lance could feel Keith’s hair tickling his neck from where it was fanned out across the pillow they were sharing.</p><p>He thought about lying in bed for more of the morning, but after two years of waking up at 6.30 a.m. almost every morning, he couldn’t stay still for long. So what could he do? He didn’t want to lurk- well, it was his own home, but he didn’t want to wake Keith up and he didn’t want to just be sitting in the fucking corner playing Candy Crush while he waited for him to wake up. He could go… out? Hunk would be at the bakery, Nyma would kill him if he woke her up, and Shay was lifeguarding this morning, so no one he wanted to visit. So that left…</p><p>Coffee run.</p><p>Carefully, he got out of bed and fished around for his phone, finding it almost underneath the bed. He still had twenty-eight per cent battery left, as well as a few notifications. He checked the time and found he had actually slept in, and it was already almost 8 o’clock. He glanced at Keith still wrapped in sheets in his bed, watching the rise and fall of his shoulders. He slid on some sweats and went to the bathroom, relieving himself and then scoffing at the scratch lines down his shoulders. He came back out, and put on a hoodie and a cap, and silently ducked out of his cabin.</p><p>It wasn’t weird, right? He liked coffee, Keith drank coffee, it would be super chill if he brought him one. Not clingy, not weirdly romantic, not cringy <em>love me please</em> either. Just like “yo, Keith, I got you this coffee, all g no worries”. He would just say… it was payback for allowing the cuddling last night. Yeah. That could work. Maybe.</p><p>He was overthinking this.</p><p>He ordered two coffees at the little café down the street (and got them for free, because he was beloved by all staff- and it was kind of a code between them all) and checked his messages while he waited. Nyma had responded to his Snapchat with one of her own, of both her and Shay in charcoal face masks looming at the camera. He screenshotted it with a chuckle. Another notification was a change to his shifts- he was meant to have the rest of that day off, but now he was working the close at La Cocina that night. That did not make him chuckle, but at least Nyma would be on with him.</p><p>The barista handed him the coffees with a friendly smile which Lance returned, and then he headed back to his quarters. Keith was still asleep when Lance unlocked the door, which made him giddy all over again. He moved to the bedside, sitting on the mattress. He heard the long intake of breath which meant Keith was waking up, and bit his lip. <em>Don’t be weird</em>, he told himself. But even as he said that, he couldn’t stop himself from running a hand through Keith’s hair (mullet) lightly.</p><p>“Morning, Keith,” It seemed so natural to lean down and kiss his temple that Lance only started freaking out after he’d done it. He watched a smile bloom across Keith’s face as he squinted his eyes shut and burrowed further into Lance’s pillow.</p><p>“The fuck are you up so early?” Came the sleepy response, Keith’s voice dry and scratchy. Lance ran a hand lightly over Keith’s naked shoulders.</p><p>“Habit,” He answered. “I went out and got us coffee.” That got Keith to look at him, his eyes flickering over Lance’s outfit- and oh yeah, he forgot he looked like a frat boy.</p><p>They bantered a bit and drank their coffees, Keith rolling over to sit with the sheets draped in his lap, and Lance awkwardly lounging on the end of the bed across from him. Lance had been worried that it would just be the alcohol that made Keith like him, but it was surprisingly easy to talk with him sober. It was slightly flirty, but with the sun streaming through his window and Keith’s hair curly from sleep (in <em>his</em> bed!) Lance couldn’t imagine a better morning.</p><p>But, eventually, it had to end.</p><p>“Uh, thanks for… having me?” A blush rose in Keith’s cheeks as he faced Lance, looking like the epitome of the walk of shame, all ruffled hair and crumpled clothes. Lance felt his stomach drop at the thought that maybe this would be the last time he saw Keith, that maybe the other man would want nothing to do with him after today, if they ever ran into each other again. But he would take what he could get.</p><p>He grinned, that bright, shark-toothed smile that Hunk hated. “Oh, any time, Keith.” He hooked his fingers into the doorframe and kissed him, leaning halfway outside, but he didn’t care if anyone saw. Keith kissed him back immediately, hungrily cupping his face, and it hurt his heart a little. When they broke apart Lance pressed one more kiss to Keith’s closed lips before leaning away.</p><p>“I’ll see you around, Keith.” He said, and watching him go until he was out of sight.</p>
<hr/><p>“What do you<em> mean</em> you didn’t get his number?” Nyma smacked him with a menu several times, only stopping after Lance snatched it from her.</p><p>“I gave him my number! I just forgot to get his!” Lance said, flustered, rubbing his shoulder where she had hit him. All the free time he’d had earlier that day he had used washing his bedsheets, so he hadn’t really spoken to any of his friends, yet.</p><p>“I can’t believe you.” Nyma grabbed his face, yanking him down to her height and staring deep into his eyes. “He. Likes. You”</p><p>Lance averted his gaze. Even if Keith had asked for his number, maybe he was going to realise how lame Lance actually was, and never text him again.</p><p>“Well, I dunno if-” He started.</p><p>“I’ll kill you if you don’t start loving yourself, Lance.” She used her grip to yank him closer and pressed a messy kiss to his cheek before pulling him into a hug. “I hate that you have such low self-esteem.” If this were a year ago, he would have been excited and jittery and probably made her feel very awkward, but as it was, he was just glad she wasn’t giving him the cold shoulder any more.</p><p>He melted into the hug. “Thank you.” He said quietly. She squeezed him firmly before releasing him and waving him away towards his section for the night. The doors were about to open, and they had to get ready for the tirade of customers.</p><p>The night finished as it always did, and he walked Nyma back to her cabin (number one-hundred and twelve) as he always did, and then showered, did his nightly skincare routine, and laid on his bed, ready to sleep. He stared at his phone, watching the empty lock screen and cursed himself for not getting Keith’s number. Keith hadn’t texted him at all yet- not even a ‘hey, this is keith, thanks for the lay’, so he was freaking out a little. He liked Keith- liked him <em>a lot</em>- but what if Keith didn’t feel the same way? He squeezed his eyes shut and took some deep breaths. <em>Don’t freak out</em>, he told himself. It wouldn’t do him any good to overthink this. But he couldn’t quite stop himself. He felt tears prick the inner corners of his eyes, and everything came rushing in, how much he feared loneliness, how much he missed home, how much he missed his family. He fumbled, pulling up his clock app and checking the time back in New Mexico. Late, but not suspiciously late. He dialled, and took a shuddering breath in, steadying himself.</p><p>“Hijo? Lance, baby?” He tried not to bother them, knew they missed him as much as he missed them. He called them once a week on a Sunday, but this time it wasn’t enough. He needed to talk to his family.</p><p>“Hi, mama.” Lance’s voice sounded steady. Good. He didn’t want to worry her. “How are you?”</p>
<hr/><p>Lance worked the pavilion from morning till late afternoon the next day, keeping busy enough to forget about checking his phone every three seconds. He finished late, and firmly put his phone in his pocket as he walked home, his shoes covered in margarita someone spilt, and a big tomato sauce stain down his back from where a customer knocked their ramekin off the table as he’d walked by. He was disgusting, his day had sucked, and it wasn’t any wonder why Keith didn’t want him.</p><p>Hunk was swaying in his hammock when Lance got to his cabin, but Lance ignored him as he tore his key out of his pocket and jammed it in the lock. He missed.</p><p>“Aren’t people who just got laid supposed to be happy?” Hunk called over, and Lance rolled his eyes. “My bad, low blow.” Hunk added after a tense beat of silence. The key finally made it into the lock and Lance almost slammed the door closed behind him, yanking the thin curtain shut over the window and kicking his way into the bathroom. He threw his phone over his shoulder uncaringly, not watching where it landed.</p><p>After his shower, he was slightly less ratty, and he poked his head out his front door. “Sorry,” He called over to Hunk, who was still swinging idly. Hunk got up and came over, and Lance let him inside.</p><p>“Wanna talk about it?” Hunk asked, flopping down onto Lance’s bed.</p><p>“No.” Lance said. Hunk looks at him sympathetically. “I called my mum last night.” He segued. They chatted about how Lance’s family was for a while, before a quiet buzz sounded twice from somewhere. A text tone.</p><p>Hunk looked at his phone. “Not mine.” He said. As much as he hated it, Lance’s heart jumped. He got a text.</p><p>“Where the fuck is my phone?” He didn’t bother trying to hide his anticipation as Hunk could read him too well anyway. They looked for a minute before finding it under his dresser. And there, finally;</p><p> </p><p>(17:54) <strong>Unknown Number:</strong> Hey, so I think I owe you for the coffee. Can I take you out for another sometime?</p><p> </p><p>“Holy shit. Hunk. <em>Hunk</em>. HUNK. It’s Keith.” Hunk was watching bemusedly from the bed as Lance freaked out. “Okay. Cool. I’m fine. <em>Don’t </em>laugh. It says unknown number. Maybe it’s not Keith? But who would want to take me out for coffee? This message is so smooth Hunk how does he talk like this? What’s happening, even? How do I-?”</p><p>“Just <em>respond</em>, Lance!” Hunk finally said, seriously trying not to laugh from the bed.</p><p>“Right. You’re right. And when you’re right, you’re right. Yeah. Okay.” Lance’s fingers flew across the screen.</p><p> </p><p>(18:03) <strong>Lance:</strong> Hey hey is this keith??</p><p> </p><p>Keith responded immediately, which Lance <em>loved</em>.</p><p> </p><p>(18:03) <strong>Unknown Number:</strong> Oh yeah sorry. Its me.</p><p>(18:04) <strong>Lance:</strong> hi :)</p><p> </p><p>Lance jumped up and sprawled next to Hunk on the bed, grinning giddily. He quickly saved Keith’s number before sending another message.</p><p> </p><p>(18:05) <strong>Lance: </strong>lmao also u don’t owe me for the coffee bc I owed u for spooning remember ;))))</p><p> </p><p>He chuckled to himself as he sent it, and then showed Hunk, who rolled his eyes. “Kinda sounds like you don’t wanna go on a date with him, sport.” Hunk said, raising his eyebrows. Lance squawked.</p><p> </p><p>(18:05) <strong>Lance: </strong>noT THAT I WOULDN’T LOBE A COFFE WITH OU</p><p> </p><p>“You suck,” Hunk patted Lance on the head as he frantically typed.</p><p> </p><p>(18:06) <strong>Lance:</strong> hunk’s telling me off for my bad flirting skills :’(</p><p>(18:06) <strong>Lance:</strong> sos.</p><p> </p><p>“Please take my phone away from me.” Lance pretended to sob as Hunk rolled his eyes <em>again</em> and took the phone.</p><p> </p><p>(18:08) <strong>holyshititskeith:</strong> So a coffee or a drink tomorrow maybe?</p><p> </p><p>“Give me that phone,” Lance rolled halfway across Hunk and stared, wriggling his toes that were hanging off the side of the bed. “What am I doing tomorrow? Hunk! What am I doing tomorrow?”</p><p>“Yoga then breakfast,” Hunk grunted hoarsely from beneath him, and Lane rolled off again.</p><p>“Yes. Yes. Yoga in the morning then… breakfast with you all.” Lance hummed.</p><p> </p><p>(18:10) <strong>Lance:</strong> yes yes!! happy to! have u been to the bar on northbeack yet?</p><p>(18:10) <strong>Lance:</strong> *northbeach</p><p>
  
</p><p>He tossed his phone back on his pillows and stood, going to get a glass of water just to try and release some nervous energy while he waited. “Hunk, I’m gonna die!” He sang as he finished his drink and proceeded to do some awkward dance moves while he waited.</p><p>“Not on my watch, buddy,” Hunk joined in the dancing from the bed. And then tossed him the phone when it vibrated.</p><p> </p><p>(18:12) <strong>holyshititskeith:</strong> not yet. Sounds good though. Maybe around 3.00? if you’re not working.</p><p> </p><p>“Kill me!” Lance cheered, fist-pumping in the air. Hunk threw up his own arms to join in.</p><p> </p><p>(18:13) <strong>Lance:</strong> yeah yeah!! totally! see you then! Xx</p><p> </p><p>“Three o’clock tomorrow!” Lance let out a cathartic cheer, and then FaceTimed Shay and Nyma to gossip. “Guys, you won’t <em>believe</em> what just happened.” He said, laying his phone on the blankets so he could stand.</p><p>Nyma was out at the beach, heart-shaped sunglasses on, hair out and fanned across her shoulders. Shay was at work finishing closing down the café, flipping chairs up onto tables.</p><p>“Um, obviously Hot Keith just called you, or whatever.” Nyma said. Shay hummed in agreement. They couldn’t really see much but the roof, but they could hear Lance attempting to do the Floss somewhere, so this was a normal routine.</p><p>“Yeah, it’s pretty much the only thing that could make you react like that. It’s pretty obvious.” Shay smiled. “Congrats though,”</p><p>“Well <em>Hot Keith</em> just <em>texted</em> me, and we’re going out tomorrow!” Lance danced around the room again, and Hunk snorted. There were some congratulatory “woo’s” from Nyma and Shay as well.</p><p>“Ooh, you should wear those silver booty shorts I got you for Secret Santa last year.” Nyma said.</p><p>“The ones that say ‘Slippery When Wet’ on the ass?” Shay walked out of the café and locked up, the keys jingling through the speakers.</p><p>“Yeah, those ones!”</p><p>“Yeah you should, Lance!”</p><p>“Yeah,” Hunk joined in. Lance glared at him.</p><p>“I think it sends the wrong message.” Lance said, eyeing Nyma’s grin.</p><p>“Or the right message.” She said.</p><p>“I think it’s the wrong one.”</p><p>“But they’d go so well with your ‘Bang Me Like You’re a Blacksmith From the Middle Ages” crop top!”</p><p>“Where do you get all these clothes, Nyma?” Hunk leant into the frame now, showing his beautiful face to his friends.</p><p>“I have my sources.”</p><p>“Guys, I’m not just looking to have sex with him again!” Lance threw his hands up in the air with exasperation. Hunk watched him from the bed, and tilted the phone up so Lance could see Nyma and Shay pulling faces. “He’s cool, guys, and nice, and, and… okay yeah, he’s hot, and I wouldn’t say <em>no</em> but that’s not the only thing!” Lance hadn’t really given it too much thought but the words now spilling from his rambling mouth he knew were true.</p><p>“I finish my contract soon and… I don’t know, he’s from the States too so maybe…” At the look on Hunk’s face, Lance rolled his eyes. “Alright, forget it.” He snapped.</p><p>There was a beat of silence. “I think the booty shorts could really help sell that pitch,” Shay piped up. Lance groaned.</p><p>“Okay, if I wear the shorts <em>now</em>, will you guys drop it and we can get pizza and hang out?” Lance said.</p><p>“Yes!”</p><p>“Yes!”</p><p>“Yes!”</p><p>“Alright guys,” Lance was already rooting around in his dresser. “But just remember: I love you and I treasure you.”</p><p>They all said they loved him too, and he couldn’t have been happier.</p>
<hr/><p>“Coran, Coran, Coran!” Sang Lance, leaning on the front desk of The Altean.</p><p>“Yes, yes, yes?” Coran hummed back, tapping something into the computer with a smile for Lance.</p><p>“Are you free? Can you do me a favour?” Lance beamed back at Coran, as if it was a choice. He had been floating on air since last night, and seeing his favourite manager didn’t diminish that in the slightest. “Totally okay if you’re busy though,”</p><p>“I’m actually just confirming a booking for a delightful group of guests, but if you give me a moment, I will happily do you a favour,” Coran took a few minutes to fix things up before, once again, smiling up at Lance. “How can I help you, m’boy?” There was a knowing glint in Coran’s eye, but Lance had no idea what about.</p><p>“I was just wondering if you could check the rosters and see who was working the north beach bar this afternoon?” Lance knew Shay was on Snorkel-Board, but he wanted to know who was on the bar in case it was someone who could potentially freak Keith out. Like Curtis. Or Nyma. Nyma hadn’t told him where she was stationed that day for a reason, but he hoped she was just playing a prank. She had been teasing him all that morning at breakfast, and it had started to drive him nuts.</p><p>Coran clicked for a moment before squinting at the screen. “James and Rolo are on from two till nine.”</p><p>“Not Nyma?” Lance asked. Coran raised an eyebrow, and clicked a bit more.</p><p>“Nyma has the day off today,” Coran confirmed. Lance grinned.</p><p>“Thanks, bud.” He held out his fist for a fist-bump, and Coran took it with an open palm, shaking it like a handshake (Lance knew he did it on purpose, but the very serious face Coran pulled was the best part). “Love ya!” Lance waved and retreated, skittering out of the lobby and back to his home to get ready for his date.</p>
<hr/><p>“Bye guys, see you later,” Hunk flashed a peace sign before returning to the kitchen, and Lance beamed, towing Keith from the bakery with their drinks and paper bags of sandwiches. He watched Keith awkwardly jerk a hand in return and wanted to kiss him for being so cute- along with being hot, and kind, and funny and- basically, Lance wanted to kiss him.</p><p>They went to the pier and ate, chatting and giggling like children over their banana bread and coke. Lance was listening, cheeks brimming with delicious Hunky delicacies, loving that Keith was opening up to him. Keith, he had deduced, was a pretty private and reserved person normally (when not drunk in da club). But after north beach and paddleboarding, Keith had really opened up and was practically gushing his life story to Lance (okay, maybe talking at a normal speed and volume about one or two things that had happened in his life- but, progress). Lance had his arm resting gently along the top of the bench they were sitting on, just lying on Keith’s shoulders. Living the dream.</p><p>And then he saw her. Nyma, trotting along from the beach to the paths that ran to the staff cabins, dressed in denim cut-offs and a bikini top. She saw him, too, and fanned herself, pretending to faint at the sight of them. She waggled her fingers coyly at Keith when he turned, and Lance rolled his eyes. Slut. Two could play at that game. Lance flashed her the grin and finger-guns and she scoffed. He turned to Keith with a smirk, only to find Keith was watching him, now dead-eyed and furious.</p><p>Um?</p><p>Keith stood. “Well, I’m gonna go.” What happened?</p><p>“What?” What? “I thought we were hanging out for a bit longer!” Lance screwed up the paper bag and tossed it in the bin as he followed Keith down the path. He had absolutely <em>no clue</em> what was happening right now, only that he had done something to piss Keith off. Keith was fuming, shoulders rigid, back straight, hands clenched into fists by his side. What had they been talking about? He couldn’t remember. Fuck</p><p>“Why don’t you go find someone else to hang out with?” Keith spat out. Okay, <em>now</em> he was being rude.</p><p>“What?” Lance was slowly going from confused to annoyed. How was he supposed to fix something if he didn’t understand what went wrong? Keith was being childish about <em>something</em>, but Lance had no idea about anything he had done to make this happen.</p><p>Keith swung around now, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Look, Lance, I’m sure you do this all the time, and maybe you usually get a round two, but I’m not going to sleep with you again.”</p><p>It was like a slap to the face. Lance stopped, digging his heels into his flip-flops like a motherfucker, and felt the blood rush to his cheeks. Now who was the slut? According to Keith, it was him! Was this because he had- he had put his arm around him? For all the comments he had made while they were paddleboarding? I mean, they were flirty! It was banter! Yeah, he’d like to sleep with Keith again, but that wasn’t- it wasn’t expected. Lance wanted to scream at this complete one-eighty that Keith had turned on.</p><p>“What?!” Keith sneered and turned to walk away but- oh no. No way. Lance grabbed his arm, which Keith immediately jerked out of, but it got his attention. People were staring now, and he might get reprimanded if he was recognised as a staff member having a domestic on the side of the pier, but he didn’t care at the moment. He needed to find out what was wrong. “Are you joking right now, Keith?” Sick joke.</p><p>“Why would I be joking?” Keith snapped back, crossing his arms like a child. Yeah, alright, they were going to play this game then.</p><p>He took a breath, mirroring Keith’s stance. “Alright then, what the fuck did I do to bring this on?” Keith finally seemed to see that Lance actually <em>didn’t</em> know what was going on, and slumped his shoulders. His eyes still glinted with anger, though.</p><p>“I mean, I obviously bore you, and that girl that waved before was pretty, so. Go away.” Keith waved a hand as his voice shook, and Lance cursed in his head. Of course. Keith didn’t know Nyma, and obviously Keith had some <em>issues</em> about being ditched or cheated on or whatever, but… it was still pretty inexcusable. Lance had <em>waved</em> at his <em>friend</em>. Sue him.</p><p>“For fuck’s sake, calm down.” Lance wanted to comfort but- three years in customer service made him pretty fed up with irrational attitude. No one ever deserved to be disrespected, and Keith had pretty much called him a loose floozy to his face and ran away. “God forbid I get distracted at the end of your story. I’m sorry.” Okay. Apology for his own mistake. Now. The ‘pretty girl’. “And who- what girl? Are you talking about <em>Nyma?</em>” He raked his hand through his hair, gritting his teeth. Keith was looking more and more like he’d realised he fucked up, so they were getting somewhere. “Nyma works with me at-” Had Keith seen Nyma? Once. No use saying La Cocina if Keith didn’t remember her from there. “The beachside pavilion. Like me, she doesn’t have to be in uniform all the time, dickhead.” Okay, that insult slipped out but- well, Keith kinda deserved it.</p><p>Realisation dawned up Keith’s face. Uh oh. But they could fix it. Lance sighed. Obviously someone had treated Keith like shit before, and now he reacted like- like <em>that</em>.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Keith mumbled from behind where he was pressing his hands against his face. Lance still felt bubbling anger, but maybe this was going to be harder than cute paddleboard dates and BLTs. He felt like he was willing to work for it. Alright, he could do that.</p><p>It was worth it.</p>
<hr/><p>“He what?” Lance looked up from his phone with a smile. Keith was really opening up to him, and had just texted about how he knew all his friends. It was nice.</p><p>“Hm?” Lance asked, confused at the stormy looks on his friends' faces. He had been running his mouth about his date to his friends who were slumped over various places in Shay’s cabin, but hadn’t really been paying attention to what he had been saying. “What’s wrong?” He asked. The other’s exchanged looks.</p><p>“Did you just say he called you a slut?” Shay asked gently, looking like Lance was dying. Uh oh.</p><p>“Oh, um, no. No, um, it was just a misunderstanding.” Lance immediately backed up. Shit, he should really pay attention to what was coming out of his mouth sometimes.</p><p>“So he did or he didn’t?” Nyma sat up from where she had been lounging on one of Shay’s beanbags. She looked like she was about to go rip Keith a new one.</p><p>“Um, well, he kind of implied it, but it was because of this other stuff and then he explained that he was really weird about that kind of thing because of his past relationships and… well…” Lance shrugged. “He apologised too!”</p><p>“Buddy, that sounds like a billion red flags,” Hunk looked stressed out.</p><p>“No! No, no, no,” Lance knelt up from the floor and looked at his friends. “Guys, I was just spouting shit, it isn’t as bad as it seems. He just thought I was flirting with someone else while we were on our date and so he thought maybe I just was so irresistible that I could get a billion hook-ups and maybe I was just using him for sex, and he wasn’t into that.”</p><p>“He said you were just using him for sex?” Nyma was ready to throw down, and Lance flailed. He wanted his friends to <em>like</em> Keith, not hate him!</p><p>“No! Look, I’m <em>telling</em> you, it’s fine. Please calm down.” Lance reassured them. “I’m sorry I said it the way I did, but it was a misunderstanding. He <em>was</em> in the wrong, and I promise I was mad, but then he explained it and we’re good now. I swear.”</p><p>Hunk looked uncomfortable, but nodded. “If you say so,” He said. Nyma was fuming still, and collapsed back on the beanbag to probably viciously subtweet about him, and Shay looked doubtful.</p><p>“Okay, Lance. If you’re sure.” She said.</p><p>“Totally,” Lance answered.</p>
<hr/><p>Lance uncoupled himself from Shay and beamed at Shiro, Allura, and Keith. He took a seat at their table in the small café, and immediately hooked his ankle around Keith’s. He watched Keith fail to hide a smile, and turned to listen to Shiro.</p><p>“Great lesson, Lance.” Shiro said. Lance felt relieved. It wasn’t the first artificial limb he’d had to deal with, but everyone was different, and he wanted Keith’s brother to <em>like him</em>.</p><p>“I’m glad you enjoyed it! I hope it was okay with your arm.” He ended up saying, giving Shiro an awkward grin.</p><p>“Oh yeah, normally people really struggle to change lessons to fit it in, but you did perfectly,” Lance felt pride bubble inside him, and he had to stop himself from fidgeting. Shay delivered his coffee with a wink and an exaggerated eyebrow before leaving again. Always the professional. At least she seemed to have forgiven the Keith-calling-Lance-a-slut thing.</p><p>Allura and Shiro grilled Lance on some of his backstory which got kind of uncomfortable when talking about college (Shiro was eyeing him down like a shark), but in return, he got the biggest, juiciest bit of gossip in the world.</p><p>“Yeah, my dad actually owns the Altean.” Allura chewed her tofu scramble delicately, looking like she didn’t just admit she was legitimate <em>royalty</em> to Lance.</p><p>“Holy shit,” Lance gaped. He almost dropped his cutlery he was so shocked. Not only was Allura already almost alien in her deity-like beauty, but now- now, he found out she was heir to one of the most expensive luxury resorts on this already exclusive isle. What the fuck.</p><p>“Keith,” Lance turned to him, already laughing at how ridiculous this situation was. He had seen Allura do several slut-drops at PJs, and they had even coordinated dance moves together to Kelly Clarkson when it had come on at about one a.m. And now to find out that she could have him fired without lifting a pinky- it was surreal. “Why didn’t you tell me we were in the presence of <em>royalty?!</em>” It was a genuine question. He’d have to warn his friends after this.</p><p>“What?” Keith looked confused, adorably tilting his head to the side. “That Allura’s dad owns our hotel? You didn’t think we could actually afford to come here if he didn’t, did you? I can hardly afford ramen in my dorm room.”</p><p>Lance couldn’t think of an answer, so he just shook his head incredulously. But he found himself feeling… relieved? That maybe Keith wasn’t some rich kid riding on his parents' bank account and binge drinking their pay away. He was just an average joe, like Lance. And they met here, on an exclusive resort isle where one of Keith’s friends was heiress to a hotel. Sure. Average.</p><p>“So you go to college?” Lance asked around a mouthful of coffee. He was gonna miss Shay’s latte’s when he left. His heart was thundering. <em>Ask where</em>, it whispered. <em>Where, where, where… please be near me.</em></p><p>“Oh, yeah,” Keith tossed his bangs out of his eyes with a humph. No biggie.</p><p>“Luckily, since he was expelled from high school,” Shiro chuckled around his rasher of maple bacon and ohhhh, okay, explained the emo hair flip. “But not for a prank gone wrong,” Lance watched Keith roll his eyes at his brother and grumble into his breakfast.</p><p>He jostled Keith with his elbow, curious. “What for, then?” He grinned. Hopefully, it was a funny story or he was gonna look like an asshole.</p><p>“A lot of things,” Keith answered vaguely, and okay, so Lance was an asshole. “Luckily I could still take my finals and my grades were good enough that I got into college.”</p><p>“Yeah only after we convinced you when-” Shiro stopped with a wince, and Lance saw Keith glaring at him across the rim of his coffee mug. Okay, sure. So Keith wasn’t above kicking someone under the table.</p><p>“After what?” Allura prompted, and Lance could smell blood in the water, so he stayed tactfully quiet.</p><p>“After nothing, okay, Allura?” Keith hissed. There was a pregnant pause, and Lance looked down at Keith’s hands to see them clenched and white-knuckled on his thighs. He was obviously very stressed from this conversation, and Lance wasn’t really on board with Allura and Shiro pressuring him. Lance reached over and took the hand closest to him, coaxing Keith’s fingers out so he could link their hands together. Though he was desperate to find out the juicy goings of Keith’s past, he wasn’t going to choke it out of him when he clearly didn’t want to talk about it.</p><p>“You know,” Lance smiled kindly at Keith, and then turned on a wicked grin for Shiro and Allura. “One time I was waiting at La Cocina and this man and his family came in…” He had told the frozè incident so many times that it rolled off his tongue without him having to think about it. By the time he got to Nyma kicking him out, Keith had completely relaxed.</p><p>Lance and Keith decided to talk a stroll after breakfast, so they waved to Allura and Shiro and started down main street, towards the pier. Lance breathed in a big breath of salty sea air and tilted his face towards the sunshine, hearing the chattering of tourists and waves rollicking against the Isle. He caught Keith’s hand and swung it, grinning at Keith when he looked over. Keith smiled shyly back.</p><p>“So,” Of course, Lance was gonna ruin the moment. Or not. He hesitated.</p><p>“So.” Keith mimicked. He was on to him. Shit. Well, nowhere to go but forward.</p><p>“At breakfast…” Lance waved his free hand nonchalantly through the air, like he wasn’t about to ask for the savage gossip that made Keith shine his laser-beam eyes at Allura. He saw Keith tense and nah, son, he was gonna back out.</p><p>“You know, you mentioned your foster parents before, but it didn’t really click that you were a foster kid until Shiro said it,” Lance was chicken-shit, but he also was aware that Keith hadn’t known him for all that long- he probably didn’t trust Lance with big sad backstory yet.</p><p>“You remember how I have my coffee when I’m hungover,” Keith was smiling at him, and Lance couldn’t help but smile back. “But you forgot I was fostered?”</p><p> They got to the pier and Lance watched the salt-seared wood disappear beneath their feet. “Guess I have strange priorities when I’m drunk,” He said, swinging their joined hands idly again. He watched the waves for a moment, before once again glancing at Keith. Who looked like he was agonising over something. Lance knew the feeling. “What’s wrong?” He asked, the contentment leaking out of him. Oh no, this was where Keith dumped him. He shouldn’t have pried earlier, and now Keith thinks he’s not even worth the trouble. He knew the speech. <em>Look, it’s been fun, but I’m going home soon, so…</em></p><p>He panicked.</p><p>“I’m sorry.” Lance blurted out. Anything. Anything to make these moments stretch out a bit longer. “You’re mad at me for wanting to ask about what Shiro said earlier.” Keith’s eyes widened, and Lance felt his stomach drop. “I know it’s none of my business,” He ran his free hand through his hair and fidgeted. Fuck. “I’m sorry, I was just curious, and I thought-”</p><p>“I ran away from home,” Keith confessed. Lance looked at him with his mouth agape. Gross. He shut his mouth and swallowed thickly. So it <em>was</em> a tragic backstory. “I got expelled around mid-year from the boarding school I went to,” Keith was staring at a point above Lance’s shoulder, blankly. “And instead of going home I… ran away.” He shrugged, and Lance… Lance was sad.</p><p>His family was big and loud and busy and crazy and so, so loving. He couldn’t even fathom running away, choosing loneliness over his family. Even if he did something that would disappoint them, even if he knew they were going to be angry… he couldn’t run from them.</p><p>He reached out and took Keith’s hands. “Why?” He asked.</p><p>Keith shut his eyes and focused on controlling his breathing. “Well, like I said, I had just gotten expelled. And even though he had graduated years before me, Shiro was top of his class and it was… a lot of pressure. Especially for our parents. So when I was kicked out, I didn’t want to face them. Shiro had gotten this big job away from home so there was really nothing for me there… at the time.” He opened his eyes and Lance squeezed his hands. Keith smiled. “I was a really angsty teenager.” He took one of his hands out of Lance’s grip to scratch his hair idly. “That’s why I didn’t want Shiro to tell you about this. I don’t come off in the best light.” He smiled at Lance wryly. “I don’t think you would have liked me when I was younger.”</p><p>He could imagine a younger Keith, and knew instantly that he probably <em>wouldn’t </em>have liked him. But he also remembered himself at the end of high school, and cringed. Hunk liked to show everyone the photo of Lance in the school mascots costume (a giant cow suit) and Naruto-running down the basketball court. There was also the sequential photo of Lance face-down on the court after he’d fallen over. He doesn’t think he and Keith would have gotten along when they were younger. He had never even <em>read</em> Naruto, just did it for the clout.</p><p>“To be fair, I don’t think you would have liked me when I was a teenager, either.” Lance grimaced. “Just imagine all this but ten times as bad, plus acne.” He saw a smile twitch around Keith’s mouth.</p><p>“Aside from the pimples, it doesn’t sound so bad,” Keith said.</p><p>“I literally had a book of puns I’d pull out during conversations.” Lance winced. What a time. “I was actually the worst.”</p><p>“Well, I painted my nails black and put red streaks in my hair.” Note to self; find Shiro and beg for photos.</p><p>“I had a ‘U Mad Bro’ shirt!” Lance fired back. He thinks his sisters burned that before it got too much use.</p><p>“I wore the same black skinny jeans for two weeks straight!” Keith was grinning now, enjoying the game. Alright, Lance could play.</p><p>“I wore eight jelly bracelets on each arm every day!”</p><p>“I taught myself how to fight with a sword!”</p><p>“I had a letterman jacket even though I wasn’t on any sporting teams!”</p><p>“<em>I only listened to Panic! At The Disco!</em>” They both yelled at the same time, and Lance couldn’t stop himself from scooping Keith off of his feet with joy, hugging him while he laughed.</p><p>“Maybe we’re better suited than we thought,” Keith mumbled into Lance’s hair, and Lance could hear the smile in his voice. Lance leaned back to face him, and the light reflected in Keith’s eyes, turning them lavender. He looked like he was waiting, smiling softly. Lance beamed, leaning in and kissing him with a smack.</p><p>“Maybe we are,” He agreed, before leaning in and kissing him again.</p>
<hr/><p>“If I don’t have a drink in front of me in the next <em>minute</em>, I will need to see your manager.” The woman spat, dismissing Lance with a wave of her hand before he could say a word. He scurried off to get her the gin and tonic she swore she ordered over ten minutes ago, and in the process clipped the bench with a fresh tray of glasses and dropped them to the floor of the bar, where they shattered. All of them. Perfect. Someone yelled “<em>Taxi!</em>” from a table and customers laughed and Lance felt the embarrassing hot mess of shame flood his cheeks and he bent down and grabbed <em>another</em> glass. He made a gin and tonic, dropped it off with what smile he could muster, and then cleaned up his mess.</p><p>And sliced his finger open. Great.</p><p>No time to really treat that, so he stuck a blue bandaid on it and rushed back to his tables. By 10.15 his hand was throbbing, some old guy had made a vaguely racist remark and then smirked at him, and the new guy who had come into the bar was slower than a wet week. <em>And </em>it was too late to call him mom and be soothed. Lance didn’t even count the dried ketchup sticking (somehow) to the inside of his pants or the tartare on the collar of his shirt. That was normal by now.</p><p>He finished closing and shouldered his way out of La Cocina without waving goodbye. He began the short shuffle back to his cabin, phone clutched in hand. It vibrated when he was leaving the shopping district behind him with a text from <strong>HunkyMunky.</strong></p><p> </p><p>(22:32) <strong>HunkyMunky:</strong> uh no issue but keith is here.</p><p> </p><p>(22:32) <strong>Lance:</strong> what? keith is where??? whas happn?</p><p> </p><p>(22:33) <strong>HunkyMunky: </strong>he;s here! Outside our cabins. Dk why but probs not to see me.</p><p>(22:33) <strong>HunkyMunky:</strong> pls don’t have sex I have to be up early tomo.</p><p>(22:34)<strong> HunkyMunky:</strong> ill distract him if you wanna sneak attack 0:)                                                    </p><p> </p><p>Hunk was truly an angel.</p><p>Lance saw Keith in the distance with his back to him, talking to Hunk and swaying slightly on his feet. Ah, so homeboy was drunk. Which was kind of sweet that Keith wanted to see him when he was intoxicated, but Lance wished he had had time to clean himself up beforehand. But his heart thudded, but he felt… good. It was nice that Keith wanted to see him. He was glad.</p><p>He wasn’t trying to be quiet, but Keith didn’t even notice him come up behind him and wrap his arms around him. Lance felt him freeze, and squeezed his arms tighter until he felt Keith relax against him, bringing his own hands up to wrap loosely around Lance’s wrists. Lance let him go and stepped back, and Keith turned to him with a shy smile and shiny eyes. “Hi,” Lance said, returning the smile with one of his own.</p><p>“Hey,” Keith said back. Lance waited a moment for Keith to explain why he was lurking around, but apparently Keith had nothing more to say. Lance hoped he hadn’t come for anything more than cuddling, because he was <em>exhausted</em>.</p><p>“Wanna come in?” He asked, and he saw Keith’s smile become fixed, some underlying tension boiling inside him. He had no idea why Keith was here, but it seemed something was bothering him.</p><p>“Sure,” Keith said, waving at Hunk and saying goodnight. Lance fished his keys from his pocket, answering Hunk’s smartass comments while unlocking his door and leading Keith inside.</p><p>Keith wandered in, hands deep in the pockets of his shorts, and Lance watched him for a moment before untying his apron and kicking his shoes off. “Sorry for dropping by so suddenly.” Keith said, turning on his heels the way only an inebriated person could. Lance tried not to laugh at him, but it was pretty adorable.</p><p>“A little warning would have been nice,” Lance shrugged jokingly, but he wasn’t focusing on filtering his words. “If only so I could have freshened up at the bathroom at work or something. So I could have avoided looking like complete garbage.” He grimaced at the end. He was widely aware that Keith was an absolute ten, with his thick hair and high cheekbones and Adonis body. Lance was maybe a seven on a good day, and that’s only if he’s actually had a decent night’s sleep and no stressful customers to wear him down. He tried not to compare himself to Keith- but sometimes things slipped out. Especially tonight, as he could feel the tacky dried tomato sauce on the inside of his pants, and could smell the dried sweat in his hair.</p><p>“I think you look great.” Lance met Keith’s eyes, ready for a joke, but saw complete earnestness there. His face was open, honest, but Lance was aware his eyes were glassy. He couldn’t stop the blush that crept up his neck, though, and he scratched the back of his neck subconsciously.</p><p>“Yeah? And you’d say that if you were sober, too?” Lance forced out a chuckle, but it only seemed to elicit a frown on Keith’s face.</p><p>Keith huffed. “Probably not, but that’s just because I’m awkward as fuck.”</p><p>He couldn’t help it. It was so out of the blue, so out of character, that Lance burst out laughing. He couldn’t believe how far gone he was on this boy, dear god.</p><p>Once he had calmed from the laughter, he sat on the edge of his bead and flicked his shoes off. “Thanks, Keith, I needed that. Tonight’s shift was kinda shit. So I’m glad you surprised me.”</p><p>Keith took the implied invitation and sat next to him, shifting slightly. “Are you alright?” He asked, hands hovering awkwardly for a moment before Keith balled them into fists and then put them on his thighs.</p><p>Lance sighed. “I’m just… over it. Over rude, entitled customers, you know?” He blurted out, rubbing a hand tiredly over his face. He ended up rambling about the events of that night before he realised Keith probably didn’t want to hear it. He forced a smile, feeling it pushing his cheeks. “Anyway, sorry. You probably didn’t come all the way here to hear me complain.”</p><p>“I’m happy to.” Keith softly placed a hand on the small of Lance’s back, and Lance automatically leaned back into it. “Any… any time.” There was a pause, and it was nice. Lance closed his eyes, feeling content in the moment, his heart almost screaming for him to stay here forever, please.</p><p>“Can I call you?” He turned to face Keith, once again words falling from his tongue before he could stop them. He must look desperate. He was holding Keith’s arms, legs tangled together, eyes darting back and forth between Keith’s own, begging him to say yes.</p><p>“Uh…” Keith said, and fuck, he’d blown it.</p><p>“I mean!” His eyes widened. “I mean like… Not now. Obviously. Like after you leave. I know you’re going home in a few days, and I’m gonna be… well I just… I’d really like to… call you sometime.” He abruptly let go of Keith’s arms and looked away, and he wanted to crawl under his bed and die.</p><p>“I’d… I’d really like that.” Lance looked up in surprise, and Keith leant forward, resting his forehead against Lance’s, smiling wider, bright and beautiful and so, so gorgeous.</p><p>“Really?” Lance couldn’t stop himself from asking, feeling the smile stretch across his face, grinning like an idiot.</p><p>“Really, really.” Keith breathed in, and Lance couldn’t help himself.</p><p>“Cool Shrek reference.” Keith wrinkled his nose and made to pull away, but Lance cupped the back of his head, and drew him in and kissed him. It was short and sweet and Lance felt the stress of the night melt away as Keith kissed back immediately. His heart was thundering and he felt warm, safe, <em>wanted</em>.</p><p>“I should go,” Keith pulled back breathlessly, looking at Lance with such a dopey look on his face Lance had to consciously stop himself from laughing. Keith’s fingers were fisted in his godawful uniform’s shoulders, and he looked like he wanted Lance to give him a reason to stay.</p><p>“Probably,” Lance said instead, gently unwinding Keith’s death grip, smiling at the pout Keith was trying to hide. But man, Lance still felt grody as fuck, he could still feel the ketchup sticking to his calf, was <em>still</em> worried Keith might realise Lance was just skin and bones and one-liners. And he was so, so exhausted.</p><p>Keith made an affirmative noise, and stood. “Our last day is tomorrow,” He said, and Lance already knew this. Already calculated this from Allura’s <em>“we’re here for ten days”</em> quip. He knew this, and he was working all day tomorrow. Shay and Hunk and even Nyma had asked and asked if he wanted one of them to cover one of his shifts but he had refused.</p><p>“I’ve got yoga in the morning,” Another reason to get to bed. “And then I’ve got a double at La Cocina,” Lance said apologetically. Keith nodded, looking like he was doing some serious mental math, before giving him a sad smile.</p><p>“That’s fine, Lance. Seriously.” Keith said, and Lance believed him. “I guess we could like… FaceTime or something. To see each other.”</p><p>The question burned on his lips, <em>please tell me you live near New Mexico, please</em>, but he couldn’t get it out. He couldn’t shake the insecurity, the deep-seated fear that was rooted in his bones that Keith would just laugh at him, or awkwardly shrug off future encounters. A memory of Nyma surfaced, hands on her hips, “<em>Start loving yourself, Lance.” </em>She had said.</p><p>“Yeah,” He said instead. “I’d like that.” Keith grinned. He leaned in again and they kissed, but Lance kept it soft, and before he knew it Keith was waving from his doorway and sauntering off into the night. Lance watched him forlornly, feeling mixed emotions.</p><p>Hunk popped his head out of his cabin, watching Keith for a moment before turning to Lance. As always, Hunk could read him like a book.</p><p>“Goodnight.” Hunk said. “I love you, Lance.” His friend smiled, and there was no way Lance could doubt his words.</p><p>Heart in his throat, he tried to smile back. But his words were genuine. “I love you too, buddy.”</p>
<hr/><p><em>Oh, I had a dream, for a moment I believed it was true</em>…</p><p>Icehouse crooned over the speakers at the north beach bar, and Lance sighed, flicking his pen against the wooden bar top, only to watch it roll back to him with a rattle. Though they had agreed not to meet up again, he still felt bummed that he wasn’t going to see Keith before he left the Isle. It was his own fault- he had purposely over-scheduled himself so he wouldn’t <em>have</em> the time, but still…</p><p>
  <em>Oh, I’d have given anything just to be there with you…</em>
</p><p>He glared at the speakers, perched high above the bar out of customer view. Who chose these songs anyway? And really, Icehouse? Surely you’d want something from this century playing, at least.</p><p>“<em>Are you hiding, somewhere behind those eyes?”</em> The last words were sung, and Lance turned with some surprise to see Hunk and Shay beaming at him from across the bar.</p><p>“What are you two doing here?” He said suspiciously. Shay’s grin became wider, and she came over and hugged him. He hugged her back, of course, but he had no idea why. “Am I dying?” He asked.</p><p>“We’re here in the name of love.” Hunk said determinedly, and grabbed Lance around the shoulders, physically pushing him from the bar.</p><p>“Wh-” Lance stumbled, feet catching as he tried to right himself, holding onto Hunk’s wrists. He did not have a single clue what was going on. “What? In the name of- of love? Hunk, dude, what is-”</p><p>“There’s no time!” Shay said, talking over him. “If you run now, you’ll make it to the airport before their flight!” Lance snapped his head to face her, watching her gentle, loving smile. “We’ll cover here, Lance. Don’t worry.”</p><p>He stared at her for a moment longer, and then turned to Hunk without a word. Hunk squeezed his shoulders, and before he knew it, Lance took off, running from the beach to the cheers of his best friends. Icehouse was still stuck in his head, and he couldn’t care less.</p><p>But <em>fuck</em>, running in flip-flops is <em>hard</em>.</p><p>His arms are pumping at his sides, and his legs are already feeling the strain. He hasn’t run like this in literal years, and yes, he did have to slow down to a jog every now and then because he’s lived off of pizza and coffee for the past few years and though they’ve been made with top-quality ingredients doesn’t mean it’s been healthy.</p><p>But the desire for once more, just try <em>once more</em>, maybe this time will be different, pulls him towards Keith. This isn’t like the others- he was not desperate, he was desirable, he was not discarded, he was cherished. Keith <em>wanted </em>him. He wasn’t a passing fancy.</p><p>
  <em>Start loving yourself, Lance.</em>
</p><p>He was finally going to try.</p>
<hr/><p>He had to take a breather around the corner of the road that lead to the airport, wiping his sweaty brow on his sweatshirt and leaning his hands on his knees while he gulped lungfuls of air. He was sure he looked red and sweaty and disgusting, and a part of him was screaming that Keith and all of his friends were going to laugh at him when he approached. But he was here, he was determined, Icehouse was still in his head, and he wasn’t going to give up.</p><p>He walked quickly around the last stretch of road, wincing as his flip-flops smacked against the ground. Keith was smiling at Coran, reaching for his suitcase as the concierge/staff manager/best friend- slash- weird uncle gave it to him.</p><p>“Can I help you with that?” As usual, his mouth ran without his brain’s approval, but he was glad he didn’t sound out of breath. He saw that behind Keith Allura squealed and clapped her hands to her mouth, and Shiro pumped his fist. Pidge waved at him, and Matt shot him the peace sign. Right.</p><p>“Lance.” Keith deadpanned, but his eyes were surprised, sparkling, and his mouth was curving upwards.</p><p>Allura squealed again. “Lance! How sweet!” She chirped, before Matt clamped a hand over her mouth and dragged her away, Shiro pointing to a fern and saying something nondescript and the group of friends headed over to the corner to stare at the plant.</p><p>“Wh- What are you doing here?” Keith asked, and Lance turned his amused gaze from Pidge stroking the fern’s leaves to his… not-boyfriend, one night stand, man-who-makes-his-heart-beat-stupidly-fast, thing.</p><p>“Came to see you off, of course.” Lance said smoothly, with a toothy grin. One person who had not walked over to the fern was Coran, and he was slightly worried how the Australian would take this staff/customer fraternisation, but Coran just looked happy. “Hi, Coran-the-man!” Lance said, holding out his hand for a fist-bump. Coran slapped his flat palm against his knuckles and drew Lance in for a hug.</p><p>When they parted, Coran kept one firm hand on his shoulder, his eyes bright with unshed tears already. “I’m going to miss you when you leave, my boy!” He said, and Lance felt his grin waver.</p><p>“I’ll miss you too, buddy.” He said truthfully, and Coran sniffled before returning to the suitcases.</p><p>“So,” Lance turned towards Keith, his heart jackhammering in his chest. “Hey.” He said.</p><p>“Hi. Aren’t you meant to be working?” Keith scooped his fringe off his forehead. Lance beamed at him, and a raised a hand to trace his fingers across the bridge of Keith’s nose.</p><p>“Your sunburn is really cute,” Keith frowned. Lance’s smile grew bigger. “And yeah I was down at north beach but Hunk and Shay conspired behind my back and Shay is covering my shift at the moment so I could… come say bye.” Lance’s grin dimmed to a sheepish smile. His eyes flickered across Keith, something catching his gaze at Keith’s left hip. “Sorry if that’s a little weird. I thought you guys were gonna get here later so it's lucky I left early.”</p><p>“No, no, I’m happy you’re here.” Keith said. “As long as you’re not getting into trouble.” Lance’s eyes flickered down again, trying to figure out what he was seeing.</p><p>“I’m not. I actually- I’m here to tell- ” Lance tried to start his sentence twice, before snorting. “Sorry I am so distracted by that pillow what the fuck is up with that?” Lance reached down with a grin and grabbed the lime green neck pillow attached to Keith’s belt loops. It was adorable, and somehow off-brand for Keith but also totally him at the same time.</p><p>Keith’s face went delightfully pink. “Oh, uh, that’s just, um, for the flight.” He twisted his hips slightly, trying to pull the flight accessory from Lance’s hands. This was the cutest fucking thing he had ever seen in his life.</p><p>“This. This is the cutest fucking thing I have ever seen in my life.” Lance shook it, squeezing the little pillow and laughing with Keith. He was truly beautiful, giving Lance his full attention.</p><p>“This can’t be why you came here,” Keith said. “Coran said you were… leaving?” Lance’s heart thudded. Didn’t Keith know that? Maybe he was just being polite. He let go of the pillow and tucked his hands into the pockets of his bright red shorts.</p><p> “Ah. Yes. Hunk too.” He looked up, off to the treetops that surrounded the airport. “Um, actually, our contracts ends soon, and I- we- decided not to renew them. So I finish in March.”</p><p>He heard Keith suck in a tight breath, and Lance’s eyes darted back to him, searching his face. Too long, probably. <em>Well, that’s cool for you</em>, he imagined Keith saying. <em>Like, I’ll have to change my number before then so you can’t stalk me</em>-</p><p>His thoughts were interrupted by Keith putting his hand on his forearm. Lance blinked, dragging his gaze from the waving fronds of a palm tree to Keith’s strange eyes, which were crinkled with… affection?</p><p>“And, when you get back…” Keith’s smile was bright, welcoming. “Where will you live?”</p><p>“Um.” Lance scratched his hair with his free hand nervously, and felt Keith’s grip tighten to steady him. “Well, I’m going back to Cuba for a few weeks first to visit my grandparents and cousins and stuff.” He was chattering again, and he had to take a deep breath to make himself get to the point. “And then Hunk and I are planning to go back to college in the new semester.” He almost shuddered, part of himself curling away and crying for him to stop, don’t bear his soul, please. “In New Mexico.”</p><p>There was a beat of silence as Keith stared at Lance, and Lance stared at Keith. His eyes darted down to Keith’s mouth when he licked his lips, watching his nostrils flare as he absorbed the information. His stomach was all butterflies, beating their wings frantically inside him, trying to escape.</p><p>“New Mexico?” Keith asked in a low voice. Lance nodded jerkily, just one bob of his head.</p><p>“And you?” Lance asked, when Keith didn’t continue. He was desperate, laying himself on the tracks for Keith to run him over “Where do you… live?” He drew his arm out of Keith’s grip, but only as far as so he could twist their fingers together. He needed the connection, and as soon as he did it, Keith’s smile dimpled his cheeks until Lance was blinded with it.</p><p>“Arizona.” He said, and time seemed to stop. There was a long, pregnant pause- or was it simply a second passing?- and Lance laughed, tipping his head back and shutting his eyes. He took his hand out of Keith’s so he could rake his fingers through his hair, not in worry, but in relief.</p><p>“You’re in Arizona?” He asked, and Keith stepped forward to twist his fingers through the collar of his sweatshirt. He nodded, and Lance circled his arms around him, squeezing tightly, and the tension left his body. He hooked his chin over Keith’s shoulder, breathing in the scent of him, and his mind was already racing. But Keith went soft, laughing along with him, and he forced himself to relax. He could overthink later, but now- now he could enjoy this.</p><p>The eventually had to part, both of them sweating just from a hug, and Lance shifted his gaze to Keith’s friends, who were all watching intently. As soon as they saw him watching, they all jumped, like they had each received an electric shock, and pretended to be gazing all at different places. He had to let go of Keith because he was laughing so hard.</p><p>Once he had stopped, he clutched at Keith once more. “I can’t believe you’re in Arizona.” He said. “That’s like… close. More than close.” His voice sounded throaty, but he couldn’t help it.</p><p>“I know.” Keith replied. “I’m honestly struggling to believe it myself.” Lance propped a comfortable arm around Keith’s shoulders just as Allura trotted over to them.</p><p>“Hi, Lance.” She beamed brightly, her blue eyes twinkling. Her hair was up in space buns on top of her head today, and she was wearing in a long floral dress. Heart-shaped sunglasses were perched on top of her head, and if it had been two weeks ago Lance would have fallen for her in a heartbeat.</p><p>“Hi, Allura.” Lance replied, shooting her with fingerguns from both hands, though one arm was curled near Keith’s cheek.</p><p>“It’s really nice of you to come see Keith off.” Allura said, smiling gorgeously, and Lance beamed right back.</p><p>“Oh, I came to see you all off, Miss Raspberry Mojito,” Lance leaned in teasingly, and Keith chuckled beside him. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without my favourite customers.”</p><p>It was true. He would miss them all, simply because they treated him as a human being- unlike most customers. But of course, they were becoming his friends, too, and he felt a pang that he wasn’t going to see them for a few months. The others joined them, and soon (too soon) they were saying goodbye.</p><p>Lance handed out high-fives, laughing when his palm smacked against the futuristic plastic of Shiro’s prosthetic, making a sound that sent him onto a joyful peal of giggles. Pidge thwapped him with a small calloused hand, whereas Matt bumped his fist with a doped smile. When he held up his hand for Allura she pushed it out of the way threw her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. He hugged her back, of course, knowing how much she cared about Keith, hearing her silent gratitude and joy for them in the embrace.</p><p>Keith was last, and when Lance turned to him, he had fitted his cute little froggy pillow around his neck. It incidentally squished his cheeks a little, and Lance felt his heart melt. “So,” He said.</p><p>“So.” Keith smiled. Lance rolled his eyes and grabbed the pillow on either side of Keith’s face, pressing it gently so it pushed Keith’s cheeks together even more.</p><p>“Don’t be an ass,” He said, before using his hold on the pillow to draw Keith in and kiss him gently, just a press of their lips. He pulled away after a moment, but not far, watching Keith’s face, trying to remember it in the warm sun.</p><p>“I’ll see you in March,” Keith said, voice gravelly. His fingers curled into Lance’s jacket like he never wanted to let go.</p><p>“In March,” Lance echoed, his face breaking into a radiant smile. He kissed Keith again, and Keith gleefully laughed, and they broke apart like that, both laughing and smiling and happy. Lance let Keith go, waving at the others as Keith joined them, and Coran came up next to him to put a familiar hand on his shoulder. They went into the airport, and Lance kept waving until he could no longer see the shadowy figure of Keith through the doorway.</p><p>March. That’s not too long at all.</p><p>He pulled out his phone and punched in a text.</p><p> </p><p><strong>(09:02) Lance: </strong>text me when u land xx</p><p> </p><p>He grinned when he received an almost immediate reply.</p><p> </p><p><strong>(09:03) holyshititskeith:</strong> dude it hasnt even been a minute</p><p> </p><p><strong>(09:03) Lance: </strong>I know, it’s been too long already. cant wait for march</p><p> </p><p>Coran smiled and asked Lance if he wanted a lift back to main street and he agreed, climbing aboard the minibus. The leather seats were cracked in places, some yellow stuffing peeking out. Lance smiled, sitting right behind Coran and looking out at the beautiful Isle, wondering what his future could bring. He was looking forward to it.</p><p>His phone vibrated.</p><p> </p><p><strong>(09:04)</strong> <strong>holyshititskeith:</strong> ikr</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So this baby was born from me imagining Lance, Hunk, Shay and Nyma just hanging on the Isle and working in hospitality. Hospo was a huge part of my life, and having good workmates really got me through it, so I based a lot of what happens here on that.</p><p>I confess, I straight copy/pasted some of the dialogue with Keith and Lance interacting from my old story haha.</p><p>Also, just a quick note;<br/>I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to finish this fic, but because of the kudos that's still trickling in, and because of one AMAZING comment left just recently on HFECDL, I was inspired enough to finish it. So this fic is dedicated to all of you who kudos and comment, because if you hadn't I would have abandoned this a long time ago.</p><p>Thank you all.</p><p>If you ever wanna ask me anything (or give me prompts to continue this AU?) send me a line at my <a href="http://curmit.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a> .</p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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